KUCHING: Local councils have been requested to set up more outdoor playgrounds in smaller towns at the district or sub-district level.
In making this call, Minister of Women, Early Childhood, and Community Wellbeing Development Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said that playgrounds are crucially important in a child’s development physically and mentally.
“We can easily find playgrounds in big towns or cities, but we would also like to see the same kind of facilities being extended to smaller towns as well,” she said.
She said this when officiating at The Power of P.L.A.Y. in Early Childhood Education Symposium at Imperial Hotel today.
Fatimah, who is also the Dalat assemblywoman, said that she has used her minor rural project (MRP) fund for setting up playgrounds in the village area so that rural children can have access to them.
“It is important for us to allow our children to play in that kind of setting, while at the same time we keep an eye on them; guide and teach them on what is right and wrong,” she said.
She also said play-based learning, especially in schools, is also important for children in many aspects such as physical, social, emotional wellbeing as well as developing language abilities.
“In the socialisation process for instance, it allows children to think and be creative, to solve problems, and develop their multiple intelligence including leadership skills,” she said.
Citing research, Fatimah said 75 percent of brain development occurs after birth, and playing helps to stimulate the brain and develop motor skills.
“Fine motor skills are actions such as being able to use a crayon or pencil. Gross motor skills are actions such as jumping or running.
“So, caregivers and teachers, indulging learning through play does not mean that you must have expensive gadgets. Simple gadgets are also useful. If there are no gadgets, it is also good where it allows children to use their imagination and be more creative,” she said.
Apart from that, she said character building in children is also important and the best time to do so is during school and carried out in a fun way.
Meanwhile, Association of Registered Childcare Providers Sarawak (PPBS) president Ng Lee Boon said the symposium with the theme “Empowering the Importance and Benefits of Play in Early Childhood” is the first programme of its Growth Foundation of PLAY Project by PPBS.
She said that the Growth Foundation of PLAY is a project under the wing of PPBS whereby the main programme will be the PLAY Campaign.
“This symposium is being organised as the kick-start to the PLAY Campaign as we believe that this is the best way and a good beginning to promote play by starting from raising awareness, to upgrading their fun learning activities planning skills and inspire the early childhood educators and childcare providers as well as the communities about the importance and benefits of play in early childhood,” she said.
Therefore, she hoped that at the end of the symposium, it is able to raise community understanding of the relevance of play and to improve children’s play pedagogy in Sarawak’s child care centres and communities.
