Playing is Learning

How Children are Learning Literacy Skills Through Play
Children are learning literacy skills everyday! It may not always be obvious, but when children play, they are developing a strong foundation of skills that will help them to one day read and write. Here’s how babies, toddlers and preschoolers are developing early literacy skills through play!
Benefits of Risky Play: Why Risky Play is Important to Your Child’s Development
Risky play builds confidence! When children engage in risky play, they are learning how to take safe risks, adapt to their changing environment, set limits and boundaries to keep themselves safe, and so much more.
When We Play, We Learn: How children learn important skills through play
When your child plays, they are developing life-long skills that will help them to create & maintain healthy relationships, make decisions, develop effective communication skills, work independently & with others, & develop healthy habits. Here you will see how children birth to 6 years are learning these skills & so many more through six areas of development: small muscle skills, large muscle skills, math & science concepts, social-emotional development, literacy skills & cognitive development.
When We Play, We Learn: How children learn important skills through play
When your child plays, they are developing life-long skills that will help them to create & maintain healthy relationships, make decisions, develop effective communication skills, work independently & with others, & develop healthy habits. Here you will see how children birth to 6 years are learning these skills & so many more through six areas of development: small muscle skills, large muscle skills, math & science concepts, social-emotional development, literacy skills & cognitive development.
Empathy and self-regulation: How children learn these skills (and more) through play!
When children play, they are developing empathy, self-awareness and self-regulation, which leads to a lifetime of healthy relationships with themselves and others. These skills are part of social-emotional development and means children are learning to: - identify, manage, and express their emotions - take cues from their body and mind (such as learning that when their eyes are heavy it means they’re tired) - relate to the experiences of others - connect with their peers, family, and community
When We Play, We Learn
When your child plays, they are developing life-long skills that will help them to create and maintain healthy relationships, make decisions, develop effective communication skills, work independently and with others, and develop healthy habits. Here you will see how children birth to 6 years are learning these skills and so many more through six areas of development.
What is Play Based Learning?
When children play, they learn skills, concepts, ideas and behaviours that will last a lifetime. They learn about teamwork and connection as they play with family and peers, how to expand their comfort zone, understand their limits and discover different outcomes by trying and exploring new things, and how to express themselves in a variety of ways.
Why is Mouthing Toys Important?
Do you feel like your child is always putting toys in their mouth? At times, it can be very frustrating, but it's not all for nothing. Mouthing toys is very beneficial to your child's development! Here's how.
What is Play Based Learning?
When children play, they learn skills, concepts, ideas and behaviours that will last a lifetime. They learn about teamwork and connection as they play with family and peers, how to expand their comfort zone, understand their limits and discover different outcomes by trying and exploring new things, and how to express themselves in a variety of ways.
How children develop numeracy skills while they play
Children are learning math everywhere! From the songs we sing (like 5 Little Ducks, or 10 Little fingers), to pushing cars down ramps, to lining up toys and sorting by colour or shapes - children are developing the foundational skills to one day count, add and subtract, accurately measure, and more! These skills last a lifetime and will be used when budgeting for groceries, measuring ingredients to make a healthy meal or following directions to get to their destination.
How Babies Learn with Loose Parts
When babies play with loose parts they are doing all kinds of critical thinking by exploring the objects through their senses. By doing this, they are getting to know how objects move and appear from different angles, gaining an understanding of the object's purpose, and making connections between this new object and ones they've explored in the past. In this photo, a baby is exploring plastic shapes inside a sheer bag. Click to read more about all of the learning happening in this photo!
Benefits of Risky Play: Why Risky Play is Important to Your Child's Development
Risky play can help your child learn to regulate their emotions, adapt to new situations, and gain self-confidence. Risky play refers to play that incorporates safe risks relative to a child’s age, size, motor skills, and comfort level. Read more here!
Babies Are Playing Too!
Did you know you're playing with your baby when you: talk about your day, sing and dance together, read a story, show them different things around the room and make facial expressions? And during this play, your baby is learning! Here are some of the skills your baby is learning while you play.
Why is Mouthing Toys Important?
Do you feel like your child is always putting toys in their mouth? At times, it can be very frustrating, but it's not all for nothing. Mouthing toys is very beneficial to your child's development! Here's how.
How Children Learn With Art: Fun & Easy Ideas
Drawing, scribbling and painting are simple ways for children to express themselves creatively. PLUS, art is a great learning tool for motor development, speech and language development, literacy learning and more! Here's how children (infants to preschoolers) learn with art.