Play is essential for a child’s healthy brain development and teaches them how to interact and respond to others. They can exercise their imaginations, grow as creative thinkers, and improve their critical thinking skills.
A play-based after school program in Gaithersburg, MD, is based on the idea that kids want to play, so that’s how they learn. These kinds of programs have both adult-led and child-led activities. Play is fun and comes easily to kids, so a program like this one gets them excited to attend. Through it, they can improve their language and math skills and learn to get along with others.
For a child’s general development, play is crucial. Child-focused early childhood education increases a child’s chances of success in life. Additionally, they frequently find it easier to concentrate throughout the day, follow instructions, and stay on track. Additionally, children who engage in play-based activities are more likely to form enduring bonds with their caretakers and peers. The following are just some of the important benefits of play-based after-school childcare.
One of the most important benefits of play-based learning is that it helps young children grow their minds. Children can learn about all kinds of new things by getting their hands dirty and trying out new things. They also improve their ability to think critically. For example, children learn about math and physics when they play with blocks. When they play with dolls, it helps them learn about people and how to feel for them. When kids go outside and play, they learn a lot about nature.
Improved social skills are a benefit of play-based learning at our Gaithersburg child care center. Children gain social skills and dispute resolution through play. They also learn how to collaborate and work as a team to achieve a common objective. Children get the opportunity to role-play various scenarios in a play-based environment. It aids in their practice of a range of social skills. They can forge greater bonds with their professors and peers as a result. Playdates that take place outside of school are yet another great setting for teaching kids how to make friends. It teaches kids how to get along with their classmates.
One encounters a variety of individuals and encounters numerous things during life that cause them to feel a range of emotions. One needs to be able to react in a way that is appropriate for them and the people around them, whether the situation is positive or negative.
Different scenarios and difficulties will present themselves as they engage and play. With such early experience, kids are better able to comprehend and control their emotions. Self-help, dressing and undressing independently, using the restroom and other personal care skills, getting along with others, and advocating for oneself are all crucial social-emotional abilities for a kid to possess.
Children that take part in child care in Gaithersburg, MD that is oriented on the needs of the child are typically more creative. The reason for this is that school-age children are allowed to experiment with a wide variety of ideas and concepts while using their creativity. Children are able to openly express their thoughts and be themselves when they are in an environment centered on play. There is no correct response, and nobody is giving them instructions on what to do. Because of this, individuals are able to express their creativity in ways that they might not have been able to do otherwise.
Although creativity and imagination may seem to be characteristics of childhood, these crucial skills must be acquired, not inherited. Children may manage a wide range of situations in their lives, both actual and imagined, through play and playful learning, which helps to nurture their sense of creativity.
Children are exhibiting their innate abilities to handle problems creatively, whether they are pretending to be doctors, mothers to their stuffed animals, or piloting cardboard box airplanes. In a similar way, they learn to perceive potential in their surroundings as they transform blankets into capes and bake playdough biscuits. The basis of a healthy childhood is quickly laid by this imaginative play, which also prepares children to become imaginative, inquisitive individuals who can adjust to their environment.
Children mature physically when they engage in physically demanding play. This not only helps them grow, but it also helps them develop their gross and fine motor abilities, as well as their balance and coordination. These kinds of activities burn a lot of calories, which leads to better eating and sleeping habits, which in turn improves general body health. Researchers have also found a connection between active lifestyles in maturity and play that began in childhood.
Children who participate in child-centered education gain important problem-solving abilities. Children can develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills through play. Children are encouraged to ask many questions in this kind of setting. It enables them to consider other options. Strong analytical abilities are developed in children, which they will employ throughout their lives.
Children’s language and communication abilities are developed through play. Children develop their efficient communication and attentive listening skills when playing with other kids and adults. Additionally, taking part in adult-led play where dialogue is promoted in a natural way can be particularly useful in enhancing a child’s communication abilities during these formative years when their vocabulary is quickly expanding.
Even taking part in solo play, where the youngster controls their own story, fosters communication development. Children frequently use active language and engage in multiple-sided conversations with themselves and the toys they are playing with.
Play-based school age programs in Gaithersburg, MD, can range widely in terms of quality. Therefore, being clear about what you require from one is essential. Examine how frequently play-based learning components are used when you evaluate colleges. This will make it apparent to you what to anticipate.
MCCA has been recognized by the Maryland State Legislature for its commitment to Montgomery County issued a quality programs and special needs child care Proclamation in 2016 to MCCA for its commitment to Montgomery County child care for more than 50 years. MCCA was also selected as a 2018 nonprofit finalist for a MOXIE Award for boldness and innovation
MCCA is the oldest nonprofit licensed child care provider in Montgomery County and started its work in 1968 as a Community Action Project of the War on Poverty. Recognizing the need for quality child care programs in their neighborhoods, a group of local activists formed an association to establish centers in Montgomery County that would serve a diverse population and establish high standards for child care. Now, more than 50 years later, MCCA’s dedicated and expertly trained staff continue their tradition of providing high quality child care and play-based education for children.
Families with school aged children who can afford their child care expenses during the school year often struggle to afford the all-day programs they need when school is out for the summer. The Richard Krampf Summer Adventures Scholarship Fund was established to help provide children a safe and stimulating place to spend their weeks when school is out. Please contact an MCCA Director for details on how to apply.
