Hello, my dear friends, hope you liked my previous post about top things to do in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Today, I am going to share the importance of play-based learning in a child’s development. As you all know that Nemit started his preschool in March this year. He is a smart 2.4-year-old boy and just like all other kids of his age he loves to play. I have always encouraged play-based learning for Nemit since it’s the best way for young kids, and there’s no doubt about it.

The power of play should never be underestimated when it comes to children’s learning. In fact, a play is the most fundamental in their physical as well as intellectual development. It builds a range of skills that enable young minds to take risks, create, solve problems, imagine possibilities, negotiate, and much more.

Schools which foster a play-based learning curriculum will help the student’s overall development whilst building social skills and furthering knowledge. While searching online for schools which are best known for their play-based methods of teaching, my eyes caught sight of Panyaden International School, which is a highly regarded international school in Chiang Mai. You should definitely have a look at their website. I so wish I could find a similar school near us as that’s the kind of education and environment I was looking for Nemit.

Source – Panyaden Website

Nemit’s summer vacations have started from today and I plan to follow a similar approach of play-based learning at home as well. This is to make sure that he enjoys his time at home and also learn some practical life skills. So, let’s see how play-based learning helps in a child’s development.

Why is play-based learning so important?

Play-based learning gives teachers a chance to teach new concepts and emphasize old ones. They can gage and make the most of a child’s developing strengths and passions. This way, kids have the opportunity to learn important stuff in a way that engages them and keeps the level of fun up. This also keeps them motivated and inspired to continue learning; a crucial element to them succeeding throughout school life.

How does play-based learning work in a child’s development?

Instead of the traditional whiteboard methods, the child is encouraged to learn key elements of mathematics and literacy through playing and exploration. This might be through playing out in the garden, for example.

Source – Panyaden Website

The tutor may ask the children as per their interest which activity they want to do outdoors. It could be anything from running around to collect stones or dry leaves and then writing about them. Or, it could be helping each other in a group activity to pull out the weeds. And if the child is more interested in dinosaurs, they may be asked to write and talk about the resemblances and variations between different breeds.

It encourages kids to be active learners

Children learn best when they are actively involved and feel as though they are a part of the process. Unlike the conventional method of being taught to, play-based activities make learning more visible.

Kids learn through exploring, experiencing, listening and much more. Then, the teacher heightens their experience through things such as:

> Asking the right questions to encourage problem solving.

> Preparing materials to help kids build and create.

> Observing children’s progress and seeing what is not working through recording the process.

It inspires kids to be their unique selves

Individuality is always fostered in the play-based learning environment. This is because it encourages children to bring their own paradigms and understandings to the table to undertake the task.

Source – Panyaden Website

It has been shown to aid brain development

If done when the child is young, the play aspect of learning has been proven to change the way the brain is structured. It increases the flexibility of the mind and its ability to be used in a wider context for the future. As a result, allowing kids to play and learn simultaneously encourages neutral pathways to be strengthened that may not have been before.

You may also want to read – Best ways to boost your child’s brain development from an early age!

As you can see, there are several advantages of play-based learning that can benefit your children. As I shared earlier that I am planning to implement the play-based approach during these summer vacations for Nemit. And if you wish to follow our daily activities or share your own ideas, you can keep a tab on our Instagram and Facebook pages.

If you liked the post, don’t forget to hit the share button. And if you have any questions or feedback for us, do leave a comment below. Take care.

Disclaimer –  “This article is published in partnership with Mediabuzzer”

The post Role of Play-Based Learning in a Child’s Development appeared first on Growing With Nemit.

Screen Time – Educational or Distracting?

Updated on Dec’19: This is one of the most loved posts from the time when I’d just started blogging. Just like any other first-time new parent we had no idea about the ill effects of screen time. Or you may say we didn’t know whether it helps or hampers the child’s growth.

It was Nemit’s vaccination at 15 months when we met his pediatrician after a gap of 3 months. While asking some general questions about his health, she asked us how many words does he speak and how much screen time we are offering him.

Well, we were happily showing him 1-2 hrs of daily rhymes thinking that he is learning something good while watching TV. And I was using that time for myself. But I simply failed to observe that he was not learning any words from those songs. He would be glued at one place for 2 hrs, eyes on the screen with a blank expression on his face.

According to the doctor, at around 15 months he should be speaking at least 7-8 meaningful words and that list should keep expanding with each month. Now, this was alarming for us because Nemit was hardly speaking any words except for Mumma & Papa.

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“It is recommended to avoid any screen media (TV, mobile phones, tablets, computers) for babies 0 to 18 months old” – WHO

She explained to us that the human brain is the least developed of our organ systems at birth. Most of its development occurs in the first two years of life. Neurologists have identified three types of stimuli that helps in brain growth.

(1) Babies need interaction with parents and other humans.

(2) They need to manipulate their environment (to touch things, to feel and move them).

(3) They need to do “problem-solving” activities.

Of these three critical forms of interaction, television provides none.

Our doctor then advised us to reduce his screen time gradually & bring it to zero in 10-15 days. Now, this was a BIG TASK for me. Because hey, I needed a break too & I had no help at home.

But being a mother, I know there is nothing which we can’t do for our little ones. We can fight the greatest battles for the well-being of our kids. Hence I took this challenge to see if it actually works or not. And alongside I started doing my research on screen time.

And I found out that there was already a lot of debate going on this topic.

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Is staying away from screen really the best approach?

There is research that shows when parents make screen use an interactive, shared experience, it can become a tool for learning and the potential negative effects can be reduced.

But moderation is the key. Let us understand a bit about Screen time.

There is Passive Screen Time which is like watching cartoons or rhymes or movies. Kids’ TV has become little more than a tool for keeping children from tearing up the living room.

And then there is Active Screen Time which is like communicating via Skype or playing an interactive game but it should not take the place of activities and games that should happen in the real world of a child.

We can move from a “no screen time” recommendation to “mindful screen time” in today’s media-manic world

But How?

Simply by following the 3C’s mantra- the Content, the Context, and the Child.

• This means being choosy about the type of content (apps, games, TV shows) you let your child see, such as electronic picture books, interactive apps or personal videos of family.
• Be aware of the context as to how their usage may be affecting other interests or activities, such as outdoor play.
• And be alert to the needs of the child as an individual: A child will react in unique ways to what he or she sees and plays with.

In comparison to the high stimulation that media screen offers, real-life can seem slow and children can respond to it with boredom and inattentiveness.

Eliminating screen time is a choice for engagement over stimulation and activity over passivity. The choice is ours.

As per my experience, achieving zero screen time is possible but if you can’t do that try interactive screen time. I tried to involve Nemit in fun and interactive stimulation activities using the DIY approach.

Here is a list of 30 age-wise Stimulation Activities which you can do with your baby – 30 Stimulation Activities

After 3 months –

It’s been 3 months after that visit to the doctor and since then we are following ‘zero screen time’. Within a month Nemit started speaking 5 new words, there is an improvement in his understanding of things, he happily copies the actions we do while singing rhymes.

I believe it’s not just the baby who is growing it is also ‘the parents’ who are growing & learning with them each day.

This post was first published on Babychakra. To read this article, Click here!

The post Is screen time educational or distracting? How to use it effectively? appeared first on Growing With Nemit.