Why preschool is more about fun than learning

When parents give toddlers the opportunity to go to preschool, they give them a gift. Indeed, preschool is a time when the foundations of learning are laid. Although this is not always obvious to parents who watch their children interact with others and play all day.

But it is through this game that much more than being involved in activities is taught. And that’s why preschool is more about having fun than learning.

It seems counter-intuitive that the emphasis is on pleasure in an institutional environment. But that’s exactly what happens in kindergarten. Children can spend their time doing fun activities and playing with minimal guidelines that allow them to grow and mature.

Part of that growth comes with “teachable moments,” according to Northshore Christian Academy, where children learn to resolve conflicts. Something that will be needed when young children are ready to move on to kindergarten. A place where learning is about more than classroom play.

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here’s why preschool is more about having fun than learning.

Benefits of Kindergarten Recess

When recess is the focus of preschool, children learn much more than they could learn in a school environment at that age. And while there is some academic learning that comes out of recess, the the focus is on the “cognitive, physical, social and emotional well-being” of childrenaccording NIDirect.

• Ways playtime benefits preschoolers, according to the publication, include:
• Builds trust
• Increases self-esteem
• Makes children more resistant
• Helps them learn to interact with others
• Develop social skills
• Increases independence
• Promotes curiosity
• Helps children cope when life gets tough

It is obvious that play is the main focus during preschool compared to the academic side of school. You learn so much more from play than learning from books could ever do for this population of children.

Types of play found in kindergarten

Kindergarten recess works on the development of young children. It works on their power of imagination and creativity, according to ParentingFirstCry. Things that are not just important to nurture in childhood but beyond.

The types of play found in preschool, according to the publication, include:

• Unoccupied game
• Parallel game
• Associative game
• Indie game
• dramatic play
• spectator game
• Competitive play
• Cooperative game
• Symbolic game
• Game physics
• Constructive play

There’s so much more to play than just playing with blocks or running. Something that is taught and learned in spades for those attending preschool.

What recess teaches in kindergarten

By attending kindergarten, young children are placed in an environment where the focus of learning is play. Something that kindergarten does not offer. As such, play lays the foundation for early learning that prepares children for future academic success.

According Little Academy of the Humblethings recess teaches in kindergarten include:

• Allows children to take learned experiences and apply them to new experiences
• Allows children to process information in an exciting way
• Builds cognitive function
• Increases social skills
• Allows children to solve problems
• Allows children to let their emotions out
• Teaches children different emotions
• Instills the importance of being active from an early age
• Develops gross and fine motor skills that will be needed for academic learning in years to come

By allowing children to move their bodies as they are supposed to at this age, learning happens constantly. Something that would be made more difficult if young children were asked to sit at tables or desks.

Because then the only thing you would focus on would be obedience and nothing academic, emotional or social would be learned as a result.

Recess should be encouraged in kindergarten

When parents inquire about the subjects that will be taught in preschool, they have not yet been informed of the benefits of learning through play.

But, once it becomes clear how much you learn in the process of participating in different types of play, you understand why play time is something to be encouraged in preschool.

According to American Academy of Pediatrics, recess should be encouraged because of the benefits it provides to children. These benefits include:

• Develop creativity
• Build the foundations of the imagination
• Ability to practice dexterity
• Develop physical strength
• Develop cognitive strength
• Develop emotional strength
• Helps children engage meaningfully with the world around them
• Allows children to overcome their fears safely
• Teaches cooperation with others
• Develops leadership skills

The benefits of the game are staggering. It’s no wonder that using it to teach so many skills and increase development is the primary focus of preschool. And why it’s so important for young children to attend preschool to increase their chances of success as they get older.

Source: Northshore Christian Academy, NIDirect, ParentingFirstCry, Little Academy of the Humble, American Academy of Pediatrics