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Play And Learning Go Hand In Hand When Done Right

When you have children, one of your jobs is to make sure that they are learning. We’re not saying that you have to sit there and teach them everything that you know because this is unreasonable, and it’s not a good way to build a bond with your children. If you’re not careful, you will also find that if you force education them too much that they start to push back and resent formal learning, which is the last thing that you need. 

The good news that you need to know though is that play and learning go hand and hand. You might think that this only applies to babies and toddlers, but you’re wrong. As you get older, there is still so much that you can learn through play, and it’s imperative that everyone is making the most of this. In this article, we’re going to be taking a look at some of the things that you should know about the various types of play and games, and how they are beneficial for learning. Keep reading down below if you would like to find out more.

Brain Games

The first thing that we’re going to look at are brain games like sudoku. Of course games like this are amazing for your mental state, and the way that your brain functions. What a lot of people seem to forget is that the more that you engage your brain, the stronger it’s going to be. Think of it as leaving it on standby for a little while and then coming back to it. Your brain is likely to be slow, difficult to get started, and it’s also likely that you may have lost some of the important information that you have gained recently if it wasn’t stored properly. 

However, if you play brain games then your brain is learning new things all of the time, keeping sharp, and generally being in good health. We know that brain games are not everyone’s idea of having the best time ever, but that means nothing. There are so many out there that we’re sure you can manage to find at least one that you like if you try, and then you can stick with that. Even if you think you’re not going to learn anything from it, we can all but guarantee you will.

Riddles

Riddles are another way that you can engage your brain and keep it healthy. You will also find that a lot of people don’t think that riddles are games, but what else are they when it comes down to it? It’s something that you spend time trying to work out for your entertainment and for others. The great thing about riddles is that they teach you to look for the little details, they teach you to think critically and pick apart each small part of the sentence until you find what you are looking for. They teach you to look at things from a less obvious point of view, and start thinking about them from a different one. 

Riddles are often ignored by many people because if you can’t teach your brain to think in different ways, you are never going to understand them. You see, there is an art to riddles and trying to get the answers, and it comes with  practice. Throughout this, you are learning about communication, you are learning how to look beyond what you see, and so much more which makes it a fantastic option.

Board Games

You might not know this, but you can also learn a lot from board games. You’re not going to learn how to take over the world or whatever, but you can learn some pretty useful information. You can learn about people when you play board games, not just practical knowledge about the world and we think that this is just as valuable as any other kind of knowledge that you can obtain. Some board games help you to understand strategy and playing the long game, where others teach you about concentration and looking for all possibilities/eventualities. 

There are various board games for the different ages, so if you have kids and you are hoping to help them develop their learning through play, then board games that are age appropriate is a good way to go. The thing with this is that you have got to make sure that they are enjoying themselves or it’s all pointless in the end. The fun of it is what makes the learning so easy, so keep that in mind.

Video Games

A common misconception that people have is that video games are bad no matter which way you look at it. Of course, if your child or if you are spending hours upon hours every single day playing video games, not doing much else, and just existing in this way then yes, that’s going to be bad for you. However, there is also a lot to be learned through video games, even when you don’t realize it. For example, problem solving is a big one that you will learn when you play these types of games, just not in the traditional sense. Instead of sitting there with an obvious puzzle, you are instead trying to work out the best way to get through the game, which is also a puzzle.

Not only that, but there are also games that can help you to develop your social skills, your leadership skills and so much more. You don’t even actively realize how much you are learning when you play different games, and often that is what makes it so enjoyable.

Educational Games

Then you have got the games that were specifically designed to teach you things. Usually these are made for younger kids who are in school and learning the basics, and they are a great resource to help them. Of course, then you have games like trimonios (we know, it’s a fairly old game!) that aren’t created to be educational, but help people with their math skills every time thwy have to play. Games like this that force you to work on your basic skills are some of the best, as they ensure that you never forget, and you constantly develop.

If you want to encourage your kids to play educational games, then that’s a great idea. If you want to make it even more fun for them, play with them. A lot of the time kids will respond better to things like this if you are willing to do the activities with them, rather than just setting them up and then leaving them to do whatever they feel like.

Imaginitive Play

When kids are younger, one of the things that should be encouraged regularly is imaginative play. It’s great to play with toys and do activities that have been set out for them, but it’s also good to ensure that they are engaging their imagination and using it to the best of their ability. Some people call this pretend play, but it all means the same thing. This helps them to develop their brain in ways that are extraordinary, and also helps them to understand the difference between real and not real. 

There are so many ways to do this, and there will be times where they would like you to join in with it. If you know that you are not someone who is great at this, that’s okay, because it’s never too late to learn and to try.

Independent Play

The final thing that we’re going to talk about is independent play. This goes for children and adults alike, because we all need to be able to do things on our own. It might be hard to believe, especially to those who love this kind of play, but it’s actually one of the most beneficial for you. It teaches you to rely on yourself to make your entertainment and to do things, and it teaches you problem solving as there is nobody else around to play with you.

Play And Learning Go Hand In Hand

That might sound kind of sad, but it isn’t. Independent play is important to development, and it’s important to maintaining your ability to do things on your own as you get older. Being on your own sometimes is not a bad thing, as long as you don’t see it as one.

We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see what we mean when we say that play and learning go hand in hand when they are done right. You have to ensure that your child is getting the most out of both the play side and the education side of life, but you also have to understand that a lot of what they learn does come through play. You can’t just keep them sat at a table for hours and hours trying to make them learn things that they do not understand, as this is never going to work. The more adventurous they are, and the more that they explore things, the more they will learn in life.

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