Outdoor Play
Throughout placement this year, I couldn't help but notice how much outdoor play has changed from when I was in school. I mean its nice that children have a lot of materials to play with and a play structure to explore, but I dont really see them engaging in creative play or the games I used to play such as jump rope.
I think this has a lot to do with the fact that chidlren ar e now given materials and a plays structure to play with so they figure they dont have to do as much thinking about what they should play.I feel that children should be challenged to create their own games as opposed to being handed everything. This would allow them to expand their imagination.
March 31, 2017 l Adriana Mercuri
Traditional Outdoor Games
Sports!
Hopscotch!
Jump Rope!
To promote these traditional outdoor games in Early Childhood Education, Educators must show children these games and how to play them. When educators are outside during recess, I think that they should become invovled with the children and connect with them on another level. By playing with the children engaging in imaginative play, or even introducing new games, chidlren feel important and form a bond with teachers. When educators play with children, they realize that they aren't just teachers and that they are human as well. Children like it when their teacher is fun, loving, and imaginative.
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In my placement, the educator always plays games with the children outside. The children laugh the most when this happens because they are being challenged by someone bigger then them. In addition, they think its soo funny that an adult is playing a kids game making it more interesting for them.
As time goes on, children are being told to go outside less and less. This, however, is not good because outdoor play is crucial to their development and they need the opportunity to explore and discover new things on their own at this time. Outdoor time is a time when children get to think what they want to think, freely placed, and not have to be told what to do by an educator or adult. Outdoor play offers several benefits to child development. These benefits include:
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Increase blood flow to the brain
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Improves their ability to learn
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Helps creativity
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Helps weight management
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Increases social development
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Improved problem solving