19. Why play is so important for children? What skills are formed in children in a math and manipulative center?

Play is extremely important for children. During play, children are free to experiment, attempt and try out possibilities. Play offers children opportunities to master their environment. When children play, they are in command; they use their imagination and power of choice to determine the conditions of play. In an environment where children are allowed to discover independently, at their own pace and in their own unique way, they are more likely to become enthusiastic, inquisitive learns. The following describes the unique learning that takes place in the block, language, creativity, and dramatic play, math, and science centers.

Math and manipulative center. To many adults, math is a difficult subject. However, if from an early age children have positive hands-on experiences, they learn math concepts in a nonthreatening way and take what they learnt from one concept and apply it to the next. When children are investigating sea shells with magnifying glasses, they begin to recognize similarities and differences of objects. When children sort bear counters of different shapes and sizes, they learn to classify.

20. Preschool activities. Name and describe some of them.

In playing, children express, explore, combine, and extend what they have learned about the sights, sounds, smells, and textures of the world around them. In the play scenarios children invent and explore by themselves and with other children, they bring together everything they have learned and are wondering about. Much of children’s early learning takes place through play.

When children play with blocks, sand, or water, they are learning the basis of logical and mathematical thinking, scientific reasoning, and cognitive problem solving. During dramatic play they are re-contextualizing what they have learned from personal experience or listening to stories. In symbolic play using literacy materials, they are deepening their understanding of the nature and purposes of written language.

During active play, children learn to have fun while being physically active. They have a chance to release their energy, display calmer behavior during the day, and sleep better at night. During group play activities with their peers, children are building relationships, combining ideas, compromising, developing oral narratives, and learning to take the perspective of others – key element of social competence, creative thinking, imagination, and emerging literacy.