FAST FACTS

HOW PLAY HELPS YOUR CHILD DEVELOP

Play helps your child make sense of every aspect of his development.

›› PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Through play, your child develops control of his body. He learns eye-hand coordination, gross and fine motor skills, and how to balance.

›› EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Play teaches your child to express himself. He learns that not knowing where a favourite toy is makes him feel sad, or that finding his “blankie” hidden under his bed makes him feel happy.

›› SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Your child learns, from cause and effect in interactions with other children, how to express himself in a socially acceptable manner. He will learn very quickly that there are consequences – like screaming, hitting and biting – when he grabs a toy from a playmate. In the playground, children learn to share, to compromise and to be aware of friends’ feelings.

›› INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT

Play is essential to language development. Through play, your child learns about concepts like “under”, ”over” and ”between”. He learns to estimate different masses, volume and weights.