{"id":682995,"date":"2025-08-03T16:05:15","date_gmt":"2025-08-03T13:05:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-power-of-play-in-early-childhood\/"},"modified":"2025-08-03T16:05:15","modified_gmt":"2025-08-03T13:05:15","slug":"the-power-of-play-in-early-childhood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-power-of-play-in-early-childhood\/","title":{"rendered":"The power of play in early childhood"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a4215d049716\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a4215d049716\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-power-of-play-in-early-childhood\/#Let_your_child_lead\" >Let your child lead<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-power-of-play-in-early-childhood\/#Provide_a_variety_of_materials\" >Provide a variety of materials<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-power-of-play-in-early-childhood\/#Narrate_and_label\" >Narrate and label<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2025\/play-childhood.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2025\/play-childhood.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Credit: Gabdu Jomart from Pexels\">\n<figure class=\"article-img\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2025\/play-childhood.jpg\" alt=\"play childhood\" title=\"Credit: Gabdu Jomart from Pexels\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-darken text-low-up text-truncate-js text-truncate mt-3\">\n                Credit: Gabdu Jomart from Pexels<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Play is how young children make sense of the world. Whether with dolls, blocks, trains, or playdough, children use play to explore, experiment, and learn. In early childhood, it is essential that children have at least an hour of open-ended play each day, as recommended by research. During this time, they should be encouraged to ask questions, test ideas and engage in creative thinking. Play is not just fun \u2014 it is foundational. Play supports cognitive growth, language and communication skills, <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social<\/a> and emotional development, physical coordination, creativity, and overall school readiness.<\/p>\n<p>So, how can you support your child&#8217;s development as they play? When your child is playing this week, try these three simple strategies to level up their play and boost their learning!<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Let_your_child_lead\"><\/span>Let your child lead<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Pay attention to what your child is already doing during play. You don&#8217;t need to give instructions or take control \u2014 just follow their lead and support their curiosity. Join in by asking open-ended questions that encourage deeper thinking. For example, if your child is building a tower, you might say, <i>&#8220;Oh no, it keeps falling! What can you do to make it stronger?&#8221;<\/i> Being nearby and engaged shows your child that their ideas matter and helps them build problem-solving skills through play.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Provide_a_variety_of_materials\"><\/span>Provide a variety of materials<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Instead of offering just one type of toy, try giving your child multiple kinds of play materials at once. For example, provide blocks as well as cars, dolls, and figurines too! Your child might build a house for the dolls or create an entire town with roads, buildings, and characters. Mixing materials encourages creativity, problem-solving, and storytelling, opening the door to endless imaginative possibilities.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Narrate_and_label\"><\/span>Narrate and label<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>As your child plays, talk about what they&#8217;re doing in the moment. This might sound like narrating emotions\u2014 <i>&#8220;I can see you&#8217;re feeling a big emotion right now. You seem excited to start building with the blocks?&#8221;<\/i>\u2014or labeling their actions\u2014 <i>&#8220;Wow, you are building a tall tower! You were so creative in the way you built your tower with more blocks on the first row and just one block on the last row!&#8221;<\/i> By narrating and labeling during play, you help your child develop language to describe their behaviors, build new vocabulary, reinforce concepts like colors, shapes, and actions, and support their emotional awareness. Most importantly, describing children&#8217;s behavior shows your child that you&#8217;re tuned in and encourages them to keep exploring and expressing themselves.<\/p>\n<div class=\"d-inline-block text-medium my-4\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProvided by<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTexas A&amp;M University<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"icon_open\" href=\"http:\/\/www.tamu.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<use href=\"https:\/\/medx.b-cdn.net\/tmpl\/v6\/img\/svg\/sprite.svg#icon_open\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p>                                        <!-- print only --><\/p>\n<div class=\"d-none d-print-block\">\n<p>\n                                                 <strong>Citation<\/strong>:<br \/>\n                                                 The power of play in early childhood (2025, August 1)<br \/>\n                                                 retrieved 3 August 2025<br \/>\n                                                 from https:\/\/medicalxpress.com\/<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>\/2025-08-power-play-early-childhood.html\n                                            <\/p>\n<p>\n                                            This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no<br \/>\n                                            part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.\n                                            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script id=\"facebook-jssdk\" async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Science category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/medicalxpress.com\/news\/2025-08-power-play-early-childhood.html\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Credit: Gabdu Jomart from Pexels Play is how young children make sense of the world. Whether with dolls, blocks, trains, or playdough, children use play to explore, experiment, and learn. In early childhood, it is essential that children have at least an hour of open-ended play each day, as recommended by research. During this time,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":682996,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2025\/play-childhood.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-682995","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sciencee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/682995","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=682995"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/682995\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/682996"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=682995"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=682995"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=682995"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}