Learn and Play childcare programs integrate education into the everyday Learning experiences of Children, capitalizing on their innate curiosity and motivation to explore. Vine Assessments form an integral part of this program to track children’s development over time.

Play is something children select on their own and enjoy immensely. It encompasses activities like running and jumping, object play (with toys or games), dramatic/pretend play and storytelling-narrative play.

Dramatic Play

Dramatic play (commonly referred to as imaginative or pretend play) is an integral component of learn and play childcare, wherein children adopt roles to create imaginary scenarios or recreate real world interactions using props and staged environments. Teachers can provide guidance by introducing themes or providing props tailored specifically for that scenario; unstructured dramatic play gives kids room to use their imagination freely as well as revisit scenarios from daily life outside the centre.

Imagined or dramatic play is an invaluable way for children to develop cognitive, physical, and social development. It provides them with a platform to practice problem-solving techniques, build self-esteem and confidence as well as develop empathy. When children play such games with others it is known as sociodramatic play and is an important step towards socialization processes.

Playful or imaginative play gives children an opportunity to explore various social situations, from working together in a supermarket to reenacting scenes from their family life. This can provide an invaluable learning opportunity about family dynamics, male vs. female roles and other cultures around the globe; plus children may pick up story structures and characters which could develop their literacy skills further.

Science

Science is an integral component of daily life for children, and science plays an essential role in their everyday experiences. While some may lack access to explore nature on their own at home (particularly those living in poverty), most young children spend most of their time at child care settings where they have opportunities to experiment with materials and ask questions of the environment around them.

Exploratory learning for children under adult guidance is an effective means of honing scientific inquiry skills that will serve them throughout their academic lives, such as understanding that scientific investigation is integral part of real scientists’ jobs. Exploratory learning should not just be about fun; adults must help kids harness its full potential! Practicing scientific inquiry through play also gives children vital preparation for school. This skill development is essential to ensure children’s success in the early grades where finding answers to their inquiries becomes vital to academic success and understanding the work of real scientists is integral.

Observing, classifying, and predicting are crucial science methods that should be taught early on in education. They can be learned using simple hands-on materials or through activities that simulate real scientist tasks such as mixing paint colors or submerging objects in water to see which sink or float.

The Play and Learn Science app helps develop these vital science skills through kid-friendly games designed to promote questioning, observation and making observations. It was created in partnership with PBS Ready to Learn, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, with funding support from the U.S. Department of Education.

Physical Development

Physical development is an integral component of learning and play. It helps children build muscle mass and coordination while increasing body awareness and providing them with exercise. Furthermore, children will enjoy various tactile experiences when engaging in play with water, sand, clay or paint-related materials, which all enhance cognitive development.

Children’s movement play can help them meet developmental milestones, such as improving fine motor skills. This may involve grasping objects with their fingers or toes such as toys with buttons and knobs, stacking cups or larger puzzle toys; as well as role playing with friends to feed their dolls or drive around a car around the block.

Physical play is essential in all areas of learning and helps support infant and toddler social-emotional development. Pushing toys over and over again reveals cognitive development; building physical skills through play helps children interact more socially while also expressing themselves more freely e.g. by pointing at objects or asking for things when frustrated (social-emotional development).

Teachers and caregivers can promote physical play by creating indoor and outdoor spaces where children can move and use their large muscles freely, as well as creating flexible development plans that accommodate infants and toddlers’ physical needs. Furthermore, they should ensure all children have access to indoor/outdoor resources which allow them to engage in cooperative play or independent activity.

Art

Art is one of the greatest gifts we can give preschoolers. It enables them to develop creative thinking, fine and gross motor skills, cognitive development and imagination. Through art-based play, children explore the properties of various materials such as paint, clay and paper by pressing, squeezing, rolling, poking and pinching it in various ways until they find out its properties and learn to manipulate it to achieve desired effects.

Art activities foster cognitive development by teaching children how to interpret sensations, follow directions and observe their environment. By offering children a range of art materials and encouraging experimentation with them, they are able to craft something unique from their imagination and inspiration.

Children can engage in art projects alone or together with their friends to gain valuable collaborative and problem-solving experience, while working on group projects helps boost social skills and self-esteem that will serve them in future school years.

CCEI provides child care training courses that focus on the importance of art in early learning. CUR126: Art in Early Learning is an introductory two-hour beginner course which grants 0.2 IACET CEU upon completion. You can gain more information about this and other early learning courses by signing in or signing up for a free trial with CCEI.