The Importance of Having Fun

I have written other posts in this blog about the importance of playtime and fun for young children. Here is an article on this subject from one of our nation’s strongest child development advocates. Jone Bosworth is the founding director of the Department of Early Learning for the state of Washington, and also happens to be my sister-in-law. A portion of her editorial is reprinted here:

When it comes to learning, let’s not forget about fun.

When adults think about “school readiness,” what often springs to mind are fundamentals such as knowing the alphabet and being able to count to 10, use a crayon and cut paper with scissors. Those are important skills, to be sure. But let’s not forget about fun.

Research tells us that fun is serious business for kids. Playtime helps young children learn to solve problems, get along with others, express their creativity and develop their physical dexterity and language skills. It is through play that young children experience the joy of learning.

Brain research tells us that the first years of a child’s life are a time of incredible development. But in a culture when the typical child spends more and more hours of her day in front of the television or computer, we don’t always remember the power of good old-fashioned play. In Richard Louv’s book, “Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder,” he recounts a conversation he had with a fourth-grader named Paul, who told Louv he preferred to stay indoors because “that’s where the electrical outlets are.”

Is this what we want for the future leaders of our state?

The Washington State Department of Early Learning was created in 2006 to help ensure all children in our state realize their full potential, and to support parents as children’s first and most important teachers. Part of our mission is creating a child-friendly state that supports children in growing up safe, healthy and with a love of learning. We strive to ensure our state offers plenty of safe, low-cost learning opportunities that remind adults and children alike about the importance of play.

It’s why DEL this week is announcing a partnership with Washington’s children’s museums to support healthy child development. We are awarding grants to 13 children’s museums around the state — urban and rural, east and west of the mountains — to help them open their doors to more children and families. Children need to have fun, regardless of their family’s socioeconomic status.

To read the rest of the article, click here.

There are many opportunities for play and exploration in Kindermusik classes. In Village classes for infants and Our Time class for toddlers, we have Exploration Time, where children spend time exploring new instruments or other objects. In the Imagine That class for preschoolers, we engage in guided pretend play activities to nurture children’s burgeoning imaginations. In addition, the class materials and activity books give many ideas and inspirations for open-ended imaginative play at home.

Have a great week!