“Imagination is more valuable than knowledge.” Albert Einstein
From birth, children play with various objects in various forms and communicate with real life through 'play'. Play is an indispensable part of a child's life. Playing games develops children physically, emotionally, socially and mentally.
Game and mental development
Research has shown that playing games contributes to the development of nerve cells and synapse connections. At the same time, the experience of playing games eliminates negative feelings such as sadness, anxiety and anger in the brain.
Play and social-emotional development
Children develop skills and skills in thoughts, emotions and relationships through play. They learn to gain control.
What does play teach children?
The child learns to make choices with the roles he chooses during the game and accepts the responsibility of the choices. This increases the child's sense of responsibility and control over life. At the same time, the child learns through trial and error through play.
The child socializes through play. The child's communication with other children through play gives them the habit of making decisions on their own in later ages and develops their feelings of cooperation and assistance. The free environment provided by play is a world where the child can easily realize his feelings, thoughts and wishes. This world is the child's first steps to real life.
Play prepares the child for life!
1. The game is an action with rules and must be played in accordance with these rules. During the game, children set rules and express their feelings in accordance with the rules and respect the rights of others. This prepares children for life to comply with social rules. At the same time, what can happen if the rules are not followed? They learn what they know by experiencing it.
2. After the games are played and finished, they are played again in the same way. Children can play the same game many times without getting bored. In this way, children learn to start many things in their lives with the same enthusiasm (For example, a new working day).
3. Children learn to choose 'space' through play.
While children make choices according to the structure of the game, they learn to obtain information about their preferences, evaluate the conditions and produce creative ideas.
4. There is competition in the game.
In games, the child strives to be successful. The successful one experiences joy, the loser experiences sadness. The child who loses motivates himself to win next time and makes efforts towards this goal. This competitive environment prepares them for their struggles in life.
5. There is a rhythm and harmony in every game.
The game starts and gradually gains speed. These ups and downs add rhythm to the game. Thanks to this rhythm, the child learns to think quickly and reflect his thoughts on his actions. This creates harmony between body and mind.
For children, play not only means having fun, but also learning and developing! “Games are the most joyful form of investigation.” Albert Einstein.
Source: Kasap, N. E., Children of the New Age: Methods to Make Your Children Successful, Hayy Kitap, 2008.
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