Why Playtime for Kids? An Early Childhood Expert Gives You 5 Reasons Why Play Matters! by Kaila Weingarten

In her article "10 Things Every Parent Should Know About Play" on NAEYC’s website, Dr. Laurel Bongiorno, the director of Champlain College’s graduate program in early childhood education, explains that we shouldn't underestimate the value of play. Children learn and develop:

• Cognitive skills, like math and problem solving in a pretend grocery store.

• Physical abilities, like balancing blocks and running on the playground.

• New vocabulary, like the words they need to play with toy dinosaurs.

• Social skills, like playing together in a pretend car wash.

• Literacy skills, like creating a menu for a pretend restaurant.

Let your child play each day!