All children love to play. It doesn't matter whether it's with Lego, Barbies, or other toys. Playing gives children space to use their imagination and helps them to develop critical social skills. It can also help them with their social understanding. Play develops some of the most crucial life skills for children. This is called "executive function."
Having executive function skills means having self-control, planning, multi-tasking, and other abilities. This skill set is vital for functioning as an adult in modern society. So, it's essential to start developing each of these skills at a young age. The best - and most fun - way to do this is through play. You can help your children to create and organize when enjoying their favorite games.
Time
The most crucial consideration is scheduling or the lack of it. Give your children time to play and to express themselves. You should avoid enforcing a strict schedule on them, as this can limit their creativity. Instead, it would help if you adopted a more flexible schedule that supports their executive function.
Giving children time develops their ability to take control of their creative expression. If you need a break, try using a "work-in-progress" sign to press pause.
Play Enrichment
Try asking questions when your children play. Questions make them think more critically about their actions. Ask about the goals and reasons behind different activities. You can try asking about the order of their activities.
"Private speech" is an example of self-regulation and is critical for developing problem-solving skills. So, giving your children a model to follow will help. Try saying "I could..." or "If I do this..." to encourage them.
Calm Spaces
Of course, all children are prone to having tantrums or getting too emotional when playing. What's the solution? Please give them a space to calm themselves down and a quiet activity to do. Later, please help them to reflect on what happened. Calm spaces help your children to look after their own emotions and appropriate reactions.
Storytelling
Instead of doing it all for them, ask your children to tell you a story. Storytelling practices executive function skills of structuring conversation. Your children will also use their working memory. For younger children, it will expand on impulse control and teach them to wait their turn. If you have a large group, try to "think-pair-share" to allow everyone a chance to speak.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Being able to put things in sequential order is vital for all parts of adult life. So, please encourage your children to think about the order of their actions as they play. These instructions can be as simple as giving examples using sequence phrases like "First, I will...Then, I must..." Ask them when to give out a menu as they pretend to be a waiter, or if turning the oven on comes before or after 'cooking' food.
Endless Creativity
Last but not least, studies have shown that children need space to use their imagination. Let your children be creative with their world and push boundaries. Pigs can fly, chickens can do the math, and children can go to the moon. There are no rules in active play!
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