Ways Children Are Learning… While Playing🤸🏿♀️
When homeschooling often times we are felt to feel ashamed for allowing our children to simply PLAY. Yet, with tons of research backing this, playing has been shown to increase nuerological responses and form new nueral connections in the pre-frontal cortex of the brain (the part responsible for problem-solving regulation of emotions, and creativity).
Here are a list of ways children are learning through playing!
1. Social & Emotional Skills
Sharing and taking turns
Negotiating and compromising
Resolving conflicts
Reading facial expressions and emotions
Building empathy and compassion
2. Communication & Language
Expanding vocabulary
Using descriptive language
Practicing storytelling and sequencing
Understanding tone, volume, and expression
Learning to give and follow directions
3. Cognitive & Problem-Solving Skills
Cause and effect
Logical thinking and planning ahead
Pattern recognition
Creative problem-solving
Memory strengthening
4. Early Math Skills
Counting and sorting
Measuring and comparing
Understanding more/less, big/small
Recognizing shapes and symmetry
Estimating and predicting outcomes
5. Science & Inquiry Skills
Observing and experimenting
Understanding gravity, motion, and force
Cause-and-effect testing (trial and error)
Noticing patterns in nature
Asking “what if” questions
6. Fine Motor Skills
Hand-eye coordination
Pinching, grasping, and manipulating small objects
Strengthening finger muscles for writing
Precision and control with tools (scissors, tweezers, paintbrushes)
7. Gross Motor Skills
Balance and coordination
Spatial awareness
Strength and endurance
Navigating obstacles
Timing and rhythm in movement
8. Self-Regulation & Executive Function
Managing frustration and self-control
Switching between activities (flexibility)
Following multi-step rules
Staying focused and on-task
Organizing materials and space
9. Creativity & Imagination
Inventing characters, worlds, and scenarios
Thinking outside the box
Transforming ordinary objects into new things
Story-building and role-playing
Expressing ideas through art, music, or movement
10. Life Skills
Basic problem-solving in everyday tasks
Cooperation in group settings
Leadership and teamwork
Safety awareness
Persistence and resilience when things don’t work the first time
Feel free to break this list out anytime you need a reminder of the importance of PLAY!