Did you know that play is essential to the healthy mental and physical development of young children?
Play is how the brains of little ones grow, and it's when children are young that they go through the most rapid stage of brain development.
Playgroup is the perfect way to offer young children opportunitites to 'learn through play', and it's great for children from birth onwards.
Babies are offered play experiences to stimulate their senses.
Toddlers practise using their hands, problem solve and use their emerging language skills.
Preschool children practise social skills – an important preparation for kindergarten and school.
Here's some of the great ways that children benefit from playgroup!
- chance to make new friends
- enjoy new experiences
- gain self confidence
- develop physically, socially, emotionally and intellectually
- develop their skills of cooperation through music, group singing, free play and snack time
- develop verbal and non verbal communication skills through their contact with other children and adults
- develop fine and gross motor skills
- gain better body control, hand to eye coordination, spatial awareness and balance when they play with balls, sand, blocks, puzzles, playdough, paint and paste
- discover shape, size, texture, quantity and consistency when they play with dough and clay
- learn to recognise colours, develop fine motor skills and express emotions by experimenting with paint, collage, chalk, crayons and stamps
- extend their experience of literacy in a social environment.