THE VALUE OF CENTER TIME ACTIVITIES
PLAY IS LEARNING

WHEN YOUR CHILD BUILDS WITH BLOCKS:

She learns to use her imagination to create something
from her own thinking.
She has the satisfaction of being able to make
something.
She learns about sizes and shapes, weights and
balances, height and depth,
smoothness and roughness.
She is exercising her body.
She learns to play with others.

WHEN YOUR CHILD PAINTS:

He is more concerned with the process he is going
through than with a
finished product.  This is how it should be for this
stage in his
development.
He learns about colors and how he can use them.
He learns to use his imagination and transfers his
ideas to paper.
He gets emotional satisfaction from being able to
express himself.
He learns how to use small muscle coordination to
handle a brush.
He learns to make choices and decisions.

WHEN YOUR CHILD PLAYS ON THE OUTDOOR EQUIPMENT:

She learns how to use her body effectively.
She experiences joy in achieving a skill.
She has fun and relaxation found in bodily movement.
She learns the limitations of her body.
She learns safety and caution.
She learns to take turns and to share a piece of
equipment.

WHEN YOUR CHILD PLAYS IN THE HOUSEKEEPING CORNER:

He learns what the roles of mothers and fathers and
children are.
He understands what it feels like to play at being
somebody other than
himself.
He learns how to use his imagination.
He learns how to cooperate with other children.

WHEN YOUR CHILD MAKES A GIFT OUT OF PAPER AND PASTE:

She learns about doing things for others.
She learns how to use materials like scissors and
paste/glue.
She learns how to use her imagination to make the kind
of present she has in
mind.  Again, the process, not the finished product,
is important to her.
She learns about shapes, sizes, colors, and textures.

WHEN YOUR CHILD PLAYS IN THE SAND AND WATER:

He finds it soothing to bury his hands in sand or pour
water in and out of
cups.
He is able to relax with these types of media and
center his attention on a
task.
He has an opportunity to play alone and not have to
compete with other
children as with some activities.  This is especially
important to a child
who has trouble getting along with others.
He has a great opportunity to learn about size and
measurement,
experimenting with measuring spoons, cups and
different sized containers.
He learns which kinds of things float in water.
He is not concerned with a final product so he does
not find it frustrating.

WHEN YOUR CHILD WORKS WITH PUZZLES:

She has an opportunity to work alone or together with
other children.
She gains satisfaction in completing a puzzle and
builds her
self-confidence.
She has an opportunity to improve her hand~eye
coordination.
She will use skills learned in doing puzzles later
when she learns to
read-putting letters to sounds, making words with
letters, and making
stories with words.

WHEN YOUR CHILD LISTENS TO STORIES OR LOOKS AT BOOKS:

He learns to listen.
He has an opportunity to increase his vocabulary by
hearing new words read
to him.
He learns about different concepts, people and places.
He learns to enjoy books and reading.
His mind is stimulated, visualizing the things he is
hearing about.

WHEN YOUR CHILD COOKS:

She learns to follow directions.
She stimulates and uses all five senses.
She learns to recognize colors and shapes from
different kinds of foods and
kitchen utensils.
She has an opportunity to use different tools and
equipment to improve small
muscle coordination.

WHEN YOUR CHILD LISTENS TO MUSIC, SINGS OR DANCES:

He learns to appreciate music from different
countries, cultures, and time
periods.
He learns to express himself and his ideas.
He increases his vocabulary.
He gains satisfaction from participating in an
activity that can be fun,
physical and/or enriching.

WHEN YOUR CHILD USES MANIPULATIVE ACTIVITIES:

She explores new concepts, practices emerging skills,
and reinforces skills
already mastered.
She develops fine motor practice.
She learns about classifying, sorting, predicting,
problem solving, and
analyzing results.
She develops her knowledge of the world around her
using real objects and
concrete examples.
She learns how to learn.

WHEN YOUR CHILD USES TECHNOLOGY AND/OR COMPUTERS:

He learns how machines work and how they can help him
learn more.
He practices hand~eye coordination using the mouse.
He is able to learn the processes necessary to use
technology.
He learns how to express his ideas through technology
and share his ideas
with others.

WHEN YOUR CHILD PLAYS WITH PUPPETS:

She is able to verbalize her feelings using words.
She can begin to understand the feelings of others.
She can role-play and perhaps find solutions to
situations that may disturb
her.
She stretches her imagination.
--- beachliesl <beachliesl@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Hi!  I am working MADLY on a new pre-Kindergarten
> summer program (designed to get our incoming "at
> risk"
> Kindergartners into school a little
> early---especially
> those who have had no experience with school).  We
> have designed the program to focus on developing
> fine
> and gross motor skills, language and vocabulary
> development, and basic understanding of colors and
> shapes. 
>
> Here's my problem:  Because this is a new "pilot"
> program, the "big wigs" from Administration will be
> dropping by quite frequently.  I know that they will
> look around the room and say:  "OOOOHH--how cute
> they
> are as they play".  We want this program to continue
> next year (so we will need funding), so I want to
> help
> those with "inexperienced eyes" see the merits in
> our
> play.  Do you know of any good websites that discuss
> the benefits of different center activities?  (for
> instance:  why dramatic play is valuable, why we
> play
> with blocks, what the water table is doing....)
>
> MY BRAIN IS FRIED, and I would love a little "push"
> as
> I write up these little blurbs...
>
> Can you help me?
>