Learning through Physical Play by : ashlee

Did you know that physical play and sporting activities can help benefit your child ’ s holistic learning and development ? It helps develop their stamina , fitness and develops strength . This will help improve their fine and gross motor skills ; which will impact other areas of development for them !

Cognitive - it helps your child improve their spacial awareness , including the concepts of speed , height and width ! Such awareness will also encourage their estimation and understanding of sorting , sequencing and patterns ! All of which helps to strengthen the brain connections .

Language - physical play and sporting games help provide your child with opportunities to extend their vocabulary . For example , depending on the activity or sport , they would be introduced to positional vocabulary ; under , over , up , down , across , side , etc . With your child understanding how to use such vocabulary , it would in turn help support their communication and play with others , either as a team or against one another .

Personal , Social and Emotional - You will find , no matter what age your child is or how shy they may have once been , once they join sport they will change ! It helps give children a sense of freedom and belonging ; some may not have the opportunity to play sports at school so why not take them to an extra curricular activity after school ? There are plenty of wonderful sporting clubs around the UAE for children and young people . No matter what the sport , it will give your child the chance to co-operatively play , turn take and start to understand the concepts of winning / losing . All of which will help your child become more confident whilst boosting their self esteem .

Eyes on Early Years 2 | Page 17

Learning through Physical Play by : ashlee