Playing is essential for children’s mental development. Letting them play and do the right kind of activities will help develop various types of intelligence, such as kinaesthetic, logical, linguistic, musical, interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence. Encourage healthy development of your child’s brain functions by incorporating some of these plays to their everyday learning activities.
- Lego
Lego blocks are a favourite among children of all ages. However, they are more than just plain toys; they can be a tool to help develop your child’s mental skills. Apart from training your kids to read and follow instructions printed on the label, it also enhances their creativity and spatial intelligence.
- Treasure Hunting
This is a fun parent-child activity, and it benefits your child in many great ways. Clearly, this is a more advanced activity that’s more suited for older kids, but if you have younger children you can do scavenger hunt, instead. Searching of items helps develop problem solving skills and critical thinking, as well as help you know whether your little tot is already able to recognize shapes and objects.
- Puzzles
Puzzles are also known to provide excellent brain stimulation for kids. All you need to remember is to slowly increase the difficulty level. Older kids can do a small puzzle of 50 pieces on their own, but larger ones with 100 pieces are best played in pairs. Puzzles are great playthings for shape and pattern recognition and for teaching kids teamwork.
- Colouring Books
Another great plaything for kids is colouring books, which are especially suitable for children who can’t read yet. Letting them fill in picture with colours develop your child’s artistic skill, as well as motor skills that comes in handy when the start learning to write. Moreover, colouring books is a form of therapy, so it’s also a good idea to let your older kids relax after a day in school.
- Reading and Singing
It’s ideal to keep some easy-to-read books that you can read with your children. Reading is a must-have skill, and you can start teaching them as early as four years old. The problem is that few kids find reading interesting, but with colourful books, it helps a lot to keep their attention. You can also start with flashcards with pictures before moving on to books. You can also teach your kids nursery rhymes and encourage singing together. This way, you’ll develop their memory skills, word recognition, and acoustic intelligence.
From birth, children slowly develop their brain functions and skills that will help them adapt to their environment. Even though most of these activities are associated closely with one or two areas of development, these play activities make significant contribution to the overall development of your children.
