There is so much to think for a young, impressionable mind as it maneuvers through the classroom teachings. Many of these uncontrollable thoughts are often roped in through well defined lesson plans which have instructions for almost everything. Understanding self and surroundings for a developing mind goes beyond the confines of a neatly arranged classroom. This effortlessly happens during playtime.
Play is the highest form of Research. Kids need to play and it’s not a waste of time. Much like the different subjects at school, there are different kinds of play. One such form of play is UNSTRUCTURED PLAY.
Unstructured play is play without predetermined rules of the game. There are no organized instructions, coaches or trainers. It is spontaneous, often made-up on the spot, and changeable as the day goes on. There is always a difference between raising children & raising thinking children. We, at Niño & Niña Preschool believe in the latter.
Unstructured play is fun—no question about it—but research also tells us that it is critically important for the development of children’s bodies and brains.
However one of the most problematic features of children’s unstructured play is that to the outsider, especially the adult outsider, it can appear to be little more than wasting time.
However we need to understand that this unstructured play for the child is a natural means of making friends and learning to treat one another fairly. Since this play is voluntary and playmates may abandon the game at any time if they feel uncomfortable, children learn to be aware of their playmates’ needs and attempt to meet them in order to maintain the play.
-Divya Joshi
