Tyler Homeschool

Children can learn very effectively through play. Playing helps build a childs imagination as well as concrete knowledge and reasoning abilities. A healthy child will have free time for unstructured play according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

A few ways to have unstructured play would be:

-coloring or painting on blank pages as opposed to coloring pages

-exploring outside

-hide and seek

-building blocks or playing with toys that have no instructions

-playing in the dirt/sandbox

-playing in water/pool

-playing with play doh or clay

All of these will strengthen your childs imagination and thinking abilities. Let your child learn to think for herself through playing without having a set structure. She can learn math through playing with blocks without having the pressure of taking a test. Two small blocks equal one medium size block , two medium blocks equal a long block or a square block, so four small blocks fit on a long block or a square block. your child will start to reason mathmatically much quicker through playing like this than prematurely being forced into schooling when she is not ready. Even when your child does start classes she will need lots of unstructured play time. For example get a scrabble game and use the pieces for your child to create words and sentences. Staple a few blank pages together and let her make a story book. Even if she can’t write letters yet, she can draw pictures and tell a story through pictures.

Have a play date with another child around the same age. Parallel play will help build your child’s social skills, which is important no matter what age your child is. If you homeschool your children, try to make plans for them to have parallel play with other kids after class. Playing with other children helps your child with communication skills as well as creativity skills. Let them have some unstructured play time together. Let them make up their own games. Role play is very important whether it’s playing house, cowboys and indians, or whatever they think of. The key words are “whatever they think of”. It’s not that you shouldn’t be involved in your kids life but that sometimes you need to let them figure things out on their own. Think of yourself more as a referee than the coach. Make sure your child and his friend aren’t hurting each other and are behaving (staying in your boundaries of set rules) but don’t give them a play by play of how they should play with their friend.

If your child has unstructured play everyday he will learn to reason and grow emotionally and mentally. You don’t need a preschool textbook for your child to start learing. At preschool age unstructured play time is the greatest way your child will learn. Encourage creativity in your child through playtime.

Can you think of any unstructured play ideas? Pleases feel free to comment.