Learning through play is very important to young children. Before a child enters school, much of what he or she learns is through play and pretend activities. Therefore it is beneficial for parents to foster this imaginative play through various activities.
While most parents understand the importance of playing with their child, many parents do not know what or how to play to encourage learning and growth.
In this article I will offer some activities and ideas that parents can use with their children.
Riddles Game
In this game parents can test their child’s thinking skills and knowledge and pass time away when waiting. It is great to use at restaurants, doctors offices, and traffic jams because it requires no materials except for your minds. When playing this game the adult offers clues to the child. The child then tries to guess what the parent’s secret object or word is. While some of the clues may seem very simple, remember that you are dealing with a small child and that the child should have to think but still feel successful. You can try your child out and get harder as you go. The following are some examples of clues: You can pet me, I bark, what am I? (Dog) I have wings and I fly in the sky, what am I? (Bird) I have a trunk and leaves and rhyme with knee… (Tree)
After your child catches on, let him or her try giving the clues and you do the guessing.
Yes, No, or Maybe
This is another great game for on the go because no materials are required. This one also gets your minds rolling and keeps you on your toes. It takes a lot of concentration and stimulates and encourages communication skills. The rule to this game is that you cannot answer any questions with the words yes, no, or maybe. One person asks a question and the other person answers. The trick is not to say one of the three forbidden words.
Example questions and answers are: “Do you have brown hair?” (It would be easy to say yes or no) The answer would have to be something like, “I have blonde hair” or “My hair is brown.”