Types of Play Your Child Needs

There are many different types of play--and a "balanced diet" of play that includes each type will help ensure your child's well-rounded physical, cognitive, and social/emotional development. Try to fit all these kinds of play in your child's routine.

Moving around: gross motor play
Indoors or outdoors, children of all ages need active play to build strong muscles and develop coordination. Find safe places for them to roll, crawl, walk run, climb, jump, throw things, and more! Make up fun games like searching for treasure that will get you child moving around. Try to fit in regular visits to a playground.

Figuring things out: play that helps cognitive development
Play helps children learn concepts that adults may take for granted. We may understand cause and effect, or how to organize objects, or that an object under a blanket is still there even though we can't see it. For young children, these ideas and others are new. Play is nature's way of helping kids experiment with how the world works, how to think, and how to solve problems.

Getting messy: playing with fine motor skills
If you have a child in your life, chances are there is a budding artist, sculptor or musician in that child for you to enjoy--or a future engineer, poet, scientist, author, or business person who loves to use his hands to create artistic or musical masterpieces. Children thrive on play with paper, crayons, paint, clay, musical instruments (pots and a wooden spoon will work!) throughout their childhood. If you can, set aside a space at home where messy or loud creativity is okay. Add safe arts and craft materials when your child is ready for them.This kind of play will help children learn how to use their hands, stimulate their senses, experiment with arithmetic concepts, and learn how to express themselves.

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