5 Types of Children's Play

Playing is important for children. It is a time when they can have fun as they learn about the world around them. It could be said that play is the “occupation of childhood.” During this time of play, children develop physically, mentally, socially and emotionally. They do this by playing in different ways. Research supports the importance and benefits of providing different types of toys (children’s tools) to stimulate the different types of development in children.

Toys and games that children use for play can be divided into 5 different groups:


Creative Play: Creative play is the doorway to learning. Albert Einstein said, “To stimulate creativity, one must develop the child-like inclination for play.” During this play, children are free to create new things out of blocks, clay, construction pieces, paper, as well as figure out new ways to do things. Creative toys should be open-ended play where a child’s imagination leads them to more experimentation. Examples: Wedgits, Legos, wooden construction blocks.


Active Play: Research has proven that Active Play is essential for children’s cognitive, social and emotional development. Children are supposed to be active. They like to move, jump, roll, spin, and run. They like to have contests and races. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, Active Play is important for children’s healthy brain development, creativity, exploration, social interaction, as well as developing physical skills. Examples: Hopscotch rugs and foam pieces, jumping balls, parachutes, ride on toys


Imaginative Play: Imaginative Play is make-believe play where children can pretend to be anything that they choose. Research has shown that pretend play provides children with a snapshot of life that encourages them to take these skills that they are learning and apply them later in “real life” situations. Besides the important cognitive thinking skills, Imaginative Play also encourages abstract thinking. An example of high level thinking skills is when children can take an item (such as a chalkboard eraser) and use it as a symbol of something else (such as a telephone.) Examples: puppets, costumes


Mental Play: Mental play uses the mind to explore and discover words, numbers and their senses. (seeing, touching, tasting, smelling, and hearing) When educational games are played, decisions are made, solutions analyzed and problems solved. Research has proven that playing games develops strategic thought, memory, concentration, coordination, knowledge and patience. Puzzles are a part of mental play. They help develop visual discrimination and eye-hand coordination as well as shape and letter recognition. Children begin to start collections and enjoy telling jokes and riddles. Examples: Set Game, Sudoku, Qwirkle, Bananagrams, wooden puzzles


Social Play: Social Play is interaction between children. This can take place during board games, team sports, or any time two or more children are playing together. They learn to socialize from the direct interaction or from simply watching others. As children grow they go from solitary play (doing their own thing) to associative play (doing the same thing but not together) to cooperative play (playing together). Examples: board games, Yackle Ball, Parachute

It is important as parents, grandparents, teachers and child caretakers that we remember children need toys and games that will help them develop physically, mentally, socially and emotionally. We need to select toys for children that will give them opportunities to play in different ways.

Karla Blevins
http://www.funbrainytoys.com/

Chewing Gum in the Classroom

Why are students prohibited from chewing gum in schools? After hearing Dr. Rosenthal on FOX Sunday report that chewing gum is shown to improve students’ concentration, I quickly asked myself that question. As a teacher, I am always looking for approaches to improve student’s academic success.

Of all the schools I’ve ever been associated with, all have prohibited gum chewing. Why is this? Is it the distraction that it causes to others, the mess left behind by its improper disposal, or just BECAUSE? I have found many times that the reason students receive for most things is, “It has always been prohibited.”

I looked into this and found that a study done by Craig Johnson, PhD at the Baylor College of Medicine (sponsored by the Wrigley Science Institute) indicated that chewing gum has a positive effect on student’s academic performance. The team came to this conclusion after following 108 students for 14 weeks. They were assigned to either chew sugar-free gum during math class, while doing math homework and during math tests or to refrain from gum-chewing during these activities. The study results showed that gum chewers had a 3 percent increase in their standardized math test scores compared with those that did not chew gum. Their final math grades also were higher.

Dr. Johnson, the lead researcher of the study, reported that “Some researchers speculate that a decreased level of stress leads to better focus and concentration, which may explain the relationship between gum chewing and increased focus and concentration.” Could this be the reason that teachers observed during the study that those who chewed gum seemed to require fewer breaks, sustained attention longer and seemed to remain quieter?

In another study, jointly carried out by the University of Northumbria and the Cognitive Research Unit in England, the act of chewing gum was proven to improve short and long term memory by as much as 35 percent. Andrew Scholey, a scientist involved in the study said, “The results were extremely clear; specifically, we found that chewing gum targeted memory.“

How does chewing gum affect the memory? Dr. Scholey believes there might be two theories for this. The first theory is that chewing raises the heart beat, which causes more oxygen and nutrients to be pumped into the brain. The second theory is that it triggers the production of insulin, which stimulates a part of the brain involved in memory.

Dr. Johnson, in the Baylor research, stated that his study “demonstrates the potential benefits for chewing gum on academic performance in a real-life classroom setting.” He adds, “Chewing gum is an easy tool students can use for a potential academic edge.”

These two studies seem to add to a growing body of research that indicates that chewing gum can lead to better academic performance as well as reduce stress, improve alertness and relieve anxiety. If this is all true, why shouldn’t we allow chewing gum in our classrooms?

Karla Blevins, Fun Brainy Toys

Sources: Johnston C A, Tyler C, Stansberry SA, Palcic JL, Foreyt JP. Gum Chewing Affects Academic Performance in Adolescents; Presented in the “Late Breaking” Poster Session at the American Society for Nutrition (ASN), April 2009
Chew Your Way to a Better Brain, BBC News, and March 2002
Sorokin, Ellen. Chewing Gum Expands the Mind. Insight on the News, April 2002

Engage Children's Minds

Kids learn best when having fun. Have you noticed that when children enjoy what they are doing, they don’t seem to hear anything or notice what else is going on around them? So as parents and educators, we know that it is importance to engage their minds in activities that stimulates their imaginations, inventiveness and creativity.
The question is: How do we do this?
Here at Fun Brainy Toys, my goal is providing educational toys for children that give them hours of fun while learning. I am passionate about educating children and teaching them to “THINK.” One of my favorite games that does this is the Set Game. Children as young as 7 can challenge adults when they play SET. The age and experience of the players are not advantages because SET draws on fundamental thinking processes. It builds cognitive, logical and spatial reasoning skills as well as visual perception skills. It is great!
Karla Blevins http://www.funbrainytoys.com/
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Buying Educational Toys and Games
The best toys and games will engage children’s minds and can still be entertaining. BUT in this busy world, too often we are tempted to use toys as diversions to keep children occupied. We look for the entertaining quality of the toys, and we give little thought to their educational aspect.

Children learn by doing. Toys are tools that help them do this. Toys are tools that can help them learn to understand the world around them. Toys can also be one of the primary methods used by children in developing their basic skills.

As children grow, we want them to gain self–confidence and become more social as they play. Board games that require several players can be added to their toy collection to help accomplish this. While playing social games, decisions are made, solutions are analyzed and problems are solved. Research has proven that playing games helps to develop strategic thought, memory, concentration, coordination, knowledge and patience. And to think, this is all done through the power of play.

What should we look for when we shop for educational toys and games? Remember, toys and games need to challenge children. They will become bored if they are too easy.

Here are some questions to ask yourself before purchasing that toy.

• Is it Age Appropriate? Does the game or toy “fit” the child? Is it at the child’s developmental skill level? Remember the age guide given on a toy is just a guide. The toy needs to challenge your child to the next skill level but not discourage him/her by being beyond his/her reach.

• Does it Engage the Child? Will the game or toy engage the child’s interest over a long period of time? If the toy is not fun, it will sit on the shelf.

• Does it Encourage Creativity? Does the toy stimulate the imagination and inspire creativity? It should encourage open-ended play and make-believe as well as allow your child to explore, create and imitate.

• Will it help the Child’s Development? Will the toy or game promote growth socially, emotionally, intellectually and/or physically? Does it provide opportunities to organize and plan using their thinking strategies?

• Is it Durable? No matter if it is made of wood, plastic, metal or fabric, ask yourself, “Can this item be cleaned?” It should also be sturdy and able to withstand the daily exploration of your child.

• Is it Safe? This is the most important question. Take special care to follow the age-specific safety warnings. (i.e. small parts may present choking hazards for children under the age of three.) Also, try to avoid sharp edges and long cords.
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Karla Blevins at: http://www.funbrainytoys.com