Parents are the first teachers any child encounters and research has never been clearer – a child’s early education lasts a lifetime!
Every word, choice and interaction made by a parent, either in their child’s presence or while engaging directly with them, plays a significant part in their child’s learning: instilling a bedtime routine; gentle reminders to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ and recognising colours or textures when toddlers help to unload the washing machine all constitute teaching. These playful, everyday activities are just as much about teaching as learning the names of shapes or remembering the sounds that letters represent.
Early education is about every aspect of a child’s development. It is about more than imparting knowledge. It is about providing a wide range of experiences and opportunities so that every area of development receives attention. Essential routines, such as being able to recognise and go to the toilet, the social and emotional skills needed to form relationships and adapt to new experiences, the building up of vocabulary to understand and communicate effectively, as well as the characteristics of learning, such as ‘having a go’ or persevering when faced with a tricky task, are all of prime importance.
The significance of play in allowing children to
Play can be messy!!
learn and develop across such a broad range of developmental areas has long been understood. Its fundamental value is recognised in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage.
Play provides the natural, imaginative and motivating contexts for children to learn about themselves, one another and the world around them. A single moment of sustained play can afford children many developmental experiences at once, covering multiple areas of learning and reinforcing the characteristics of effective learning.
Lots of time to be creative!
Every opportunity to play allows children to learn and develop in this way. From banging saucepans together on the kitchen floor, to pretending to be aeroplanes by imitating engine noises, children’s play has a purpose. Maximising these opportunities so that they are as powerful an experience as possible involves teaching children how to play and teaching children through their play.
COME TO OUR PLAYTIME SESSIONS!
Wednesday 10:30-11:30 am
Now that weather is colder, we are inside in the main hall upstairs – lift available.
Every week we hold a PLAYTIME session for children 0 – 3 years of age with their family at our own premises at Swaythling Neighbourhood Centre.
We are hoping to eventually hold more sessions across the city, as finance, venues and staffing become available.
Each session involves:- art and craft activities; a range of different toys to play with; singing time with nursery rhymes; group games with a parachute and a story.
We also provide each child with a “TODDLER TOOLKIT”.
This is a Community Playlink bag that we provide, along with a small toy, song sheet, small book or piece of equipment, which we provide on each visit to a Playtime session. Over time, this will build up to a ‘toolkit’ that your child can use to keep themselves playing happily while on car journeys, visits to Doctors, shopping etc.
PLAYTIME with Community Playlink
CHILDREN NEED TO PLAY
Parents are the first teachers any child encounters and research has never been clearer – a child’s early education lasts a lifetime!
Every word, choice and interaction made by a parent, either in their child’s presence or while engaging directly with them, plays a significant part in their child’s learning: instilling a bedtime routine; gentle reminders to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ and recognising colours or textures when toddlers help to unload the washing machine all constitute teaching. These playful, everyday activities are just as much about teaching as learning the names of shapes or remembering the sounds that letters represent.
Early education is about every aspect of a child’s development. It is about more than imparting knowledge. It is about providing a wide range of experiences and opportunities so that every area of development receives attention. Essential routines, such as being able to recognise and go to the toilet, the social and emotional skills needed to form relationships and adapt to new experiences, the building up of vocabulary to understand and communicate effectively, as well as the characteristics of learning, such as ‘having a go’ or persevering when faced with a tricky task, are all of prime importance.
The significance of play in allowing children to
learn and develop across such a broad range of developmental areas has long been understood. Its fundamental value is recognised in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage.
Play provides the natural, imaginative and motivating contexts for children to learn about themselves, one another and the world around them. A single moment of sustained play can afford children many developmental experiences at once, covering multiple areas of learning and reinforcing the characteristics of effective learning.
Every opportunity to play allows children to learn and develop in this way. From banging saucepans together on the kitchen floor, to pretending to be aeroplanes by imitating engine noises, children’s play has a purpose. Maximising these opportunities so that they are as powerful an experience as possible involves teaching children how to play and teaching children through their play.
COME TO OUR PLAYTIME SESSIONS!
Wednesday 10:30-11:30 am
Now that weather is colder, we are inside in the main hall upstairs – lift available.
Every week we hold a PLAYTIME session for children 0 – 3 years of age with their family at our own premises at Swaythling Neighbourhood Centre.
We are hoping to eventually hold more sessions across the city, as finance, venues and staffing become available.
Each session involves:- art and craft activities; a range of different toys to play with; singing time with nursery rhymes; group games with a parachute and a story.
We also provide each child with a “TODDLER TOOLKIT”.
This is a Community Playlink bag that we provide, along with a small toy, song sheet, small book or piece of equipment, which we provide on each visit to a Playtime session. Over time, this will build up to a ‘toolkit’ that your child can use to keep themselves playing happily while on car journeys, visits to Doctors, shopping etc.
Make sure you come and join in our Playtime fun
and get your Toddler Toolkit soon!!