Green Child Magazine Back-to-School 2014 | Page 46

Learning @ Home

- Play The deepest learning, especially for children,
comes when they are doing something they
enjoy, in the spirit of play. And when this play
is unstructured and child-led, the learning that
results is richer and more meaningful. Recent
research by a team of psychologists at the University of Colorado reveals the benefits of playbased learning. In their study, the researchers
found that the more opportunity children had
for free, unstructured, unsupervised play time-as opposed to organized play like sports and
classes—the higher their “Executive Functioning” skills were. The children who were given
more time for free play were better equipped to
establish their own goals, be more self-directed,
more organized, and more self-regulating than
children engaged in more structured, supervised
activities.3 Give your children the freedom to
play. Make unstructured play time the priority
over classes and lessons. Let your child lead and
be the director of her play while you hold the
space for this deep learning to occur.

- Warmth Natural learning comes easily from a warm and
inviting space. Keep natural toys and materials,
de-clutter, and incorporate homemade items
into play-spaces can create an enriching learning environment. Consider donating half of your
child’s current toys to simplify and calm their
space. The fewer the toys, the more deeply they
will play with those that are left. For your remaining toys, select high-quality, non-commercial toys made from natural materials like wood
and wool. These natural toys trigger a child’s
imagination in ways that manufactured plastic cannot. And think creatively about special
“toys” for young children. Playing with a ball of
yarn or a basket of clothespins, while a grown46

up watches nearby, can be great fun for babies
and toddlers. Fill your play-spaces with warmth
by showcasing the homemade. Drape a piece of
string or yarn across a window or wall and clip
your child’s artwork to it. Frame your child’s art
for all to admire. Sprinkle handmades into your
play-spaces, with a homemade pillows or a knitted blanket, adding warmth and inspiration to
your home.

- Curiosity Spark your child’s natural curiosity with baskets
of books scattered throughout your home. Gather “coffee table books,” and other large, colorful
books to include in your play-spaces for children
to explore. Make tools for child-directed learning readily available and accessible, like wooden
blocks and letters, puzzles, microscopes and
magnifying glasses, dress-up clothes and play
silks. Set up a book nook or a nature corner or a
music alcove. Envision your home as an incubator of curiosity and imagination, with nooks and
crannies offering enjoyable spaces for learning
and discovery.

- Creativity Think of ways to cultivate creativity in your
home. Prepare a morning art table for your toddler or preschooler to stumble upon. Fill it with
paper and crayons, tape and glue, magazines
to cut up, or different materials to explore. For
older children, designate a space in your home
as your constant “creativity corner,” with art supplies ready and waiting when inspiration hits.
Filling our homes with creative spaces for our
children help them to direct their own learning,
reveal their own interests, and pursue their own
passions without waiting for grown-ups to lead
the way.