Playgroups are fun!!

It is not just the children who have a great time and learn new things, parents and carers also enjoy playgroup.

Children enjoy playgroup because:

• They gain new skills including problem solving, co-operation and sharing
• They make new friends, discover new things and have experiences
• They learn more about themselves and others through play
• They interact with their parents/carers, other children and adults
• They have FUN!

Adults also enjoy playgroup because:

• They make new friends
• They share their problems and successes with others
• They learn more about child development and new activity ideas for home
• They are able to spend time playing with their children and have FUN!

Play and Learning

Values of play:

Life is about learning, growing and developing and in the early years much of this occurs through play. Babies are born with a natural curiosity, a keenness to learn and an innate need to play. They reach out to explore the world around them by examining things ith their mouths, hands, eyes, ears and sense of smell. They learn at a fast rate and we can maximise the learning by providing them with opportunities and times to play.

The importance of play:

In a way, play is a child’s world and is the key way children can learn about the world they live in. They can try out ideas, practice skills, develop structures and rules and play as many different roles as their imagination will allow.

What is play?

Play was once seen as something children did to keep themselves amused and to pass time. We now know it is much more important  because it is a means of learning to live.  There are many definitions of play but common to all is that play is vital and is a child’s way making sense of the world.

Play is a term for a variety of activities that are:

• Freely chosen by the child
• Enjoyable and fun
• Instinctive and spontaneous
• Satisfying and creative
• Actively involves the child

For more information about the benefits of playgroup and the importance of play, check out the playgroup publications section for a fantastic document.