World Children’s Day is celebrated on November 20 to commemorate the Declaration of the Rights of the Child by the UN General Assembly in 1959. Upholding children’s rights is the compass to a better world – today, tomorrow and into the future.
Safe outlet for children to develop
This World Children’s Day, Sarawak Tribune encourages children all around to PLAY! It is part of their rights to have fun all day and every day.
According to kindergarten teacher Steffie, play is essential for a child’s development because it fosters growth across multiple factors, which are cognitive, social, physical, and emotional. Teaching students ages four to six, she said it is vital for children to play in order for them to be able to do a lot in life.
“Play is a child’s way of exploring the world, developing essential skills and preparing them for life. Encouraging diverse, age-appropriate play experiences is one of the most valuable things adults can do for a child’s growth,” she said.
With years of experience in childhood development, Steffie engages with children at school and ensures they get enough learning through playing.
Cognitive skills development
Children can develop cognitive skills when exposed to daily play like puzzles, storytelling, arts and crafts, songs, and rhymes, said Steffie.
“Through these plays, it teaches a child executive function, which enables them to develop focus, memory, and self-regulation skills. When a child engages in pretend play, they are able to enhance their vocabulary, communication skills, and storytelling abilities.”
Sharing an example, Steffie said that in school, she would allow children to play with playdough to create foods such as tang yuan (glutinous rice balls) or pizza. From there, the children were able to talk about stories related to the food, such as “I went to eat pizza with my mummy and daddy yesterday,” and the conversation went on and on.
She also added that through play, they also developed various problem-solving methods and creativity when they were encouraged to think critically and come up with creative solutions to solve the problem.
“Like, when building a block, a child would wonder, ‘What should I build?’, ‘How do I stack it up high without dropping it?’, ‘What block should I use in order to make a big house?” which also leads to spatial awareness.”
Physical development
Sharing on physical development, Steffie revealed that these skills are nurtured using gross motor skills such as climbing, running around, or jumping as high as they can. In school, children are introduced to physical play such as climbing up the slide, running through obstacles, and jumping from one hula hoop to another.
“My students also get to play games like ‘Dance and Freeze,’ ‘Red Light, Green Light,’ and ‘Musical Chairs’.”
Another way to nurture physical development is through fine motor skills, which are encouraged by using the small muscles in the hands, fingers, and arms. It is gained by learning to grab and let go of objects. It also helps with hand-eye coordination.
“Children are encouraged to use a pincer grip instead of all five fingers when doing various hands-on activities in school. By doing so, a child is able to use scissors, peel stickers, and even button and unbutton their own shirt. All these are so that they get to learn how to be independent and carry themselves as they grow older,” added Steffie.
Social development
Playtime ultimately builds good social skills as children learn to collaborate and cooperate with one another. At school, Steffie acknowledged that it is not uncommon for young ones to fight, yelling “It’s mine!’ or ‘She took my thing!’ and crying about it.
“By having playtime in school, children will have the opportunity to learn how to handle conflicts and compromise with one another through disagreements with the help of teachers or other peers by being reminded that sharing is caring, turn-taking, and asking permission when they want something from another child.”
In school, Steffie and the other teachers would conduct storytelling and role-playing through a literacy circle. Through this circle, children can grow to understand others’ perspectives and emotions.
“So when a child cries, it is not a surprise to see children go to that child and comfort them, hugging them, which is cute to see.”
Emotional development
Playing does more than contribute to physical, cognitive and social development. It also provides a safe outlet for children to develop emotionally. A child can learn to validate their own emotions by recognising, expressing, and managing them, as well as learning how to respond to someone else’s emotions, shared Steffie.
“In the long run, children will learn to not bottle up their feelings and are able to express themselves well. Through play, it is either a child who gets to experience joy and bliss or to express sadness and anger when playing with other children.”
Furthermore, play is a form of stress relief for them after doing all the schoolwork to give their brain a break. It gives them joy and freedom, which is the key to maintaining mental well-being, Steffie adds.
Let them play!
By having ample opportunities to play, Steffie revealed that children tend to grow into more creative, adaptive and confident adults.
“Moreover, children will grow up to cultivate the love of learning and build natural curiosity, which leads to a passion for lifelong learning. Frequent role-playing and imaginative scenarios will equip children with life skill development to prepare them for challenges in the real world and navigate uncertainties.”
By acknowledging its importance, playing remains a priority in educational settings, communities, and family life, laying the foundation for healthier, happier futures.
