Developing a child's potential can be done in various ways. The game is one of them, the parents just often overlooked. Though playing in addition to having the opportunity to explore the environment also can develop the creativity of the value, attitudes, tolerance, and understanding.
The first three years is a golden period of brain development in children. At that time, he needs lots of stimulation. The more the stimulation provided, then the relationship between neural connections run much deeper. That is, the child will be more intelligent. One form of stimulation is a toy.
Play is a way to express feelings and emotions faster than convey a verbal expression.
The Importance of Play
Function of children's play is the essence of the learning process. Through play children can build understanding and knowledge. With positive play activities, children can train the brain and motor development such as training to use her body and stimulates muscle sensing.
Play makes children are able to explore the world around them, recognize the environment in which he lived, including knowing yourself. So that the trained children's physical abilities, as well as cognitive ability and the ability to socialize.
Each child also develop emotional skills, self-confidence in others, independence, and courage to take the initiative. So the play activity is a means of practicing the skills they need to become a competent individual to make children aware of the capabilities and advantages.
5 Elements of Games
Learning fun for children should be followed with the game elements. according to Hughes, an expert on child development in his book Children, Play, and Development should have 5 elements in an activity called play.
First, the purpose of playing the game itself and the actors get the satisfaction of doing it (no target), not for example get the respect and money.
Secondly, the game is freely chosen. Children are free to choose what to play games. So, choose your own game, do the will of its own and no one asked or forced.
Third, the child should be fun and can be enjoyed. Fourth, there is an element of imagination or fantasy in play activities.
Fifth, actively and consciously done. The child should be actively involved in the games he played.
