Last week and this week we’ve been doing a lot of learning through play. Not sure it’s anything new or special, just that I am seeing the learning while she is enjoying the playing. The only purposeful learning activity we’ve done has been to get on Reading Eggs, something she has been really into the past week, not wanting to quit when I tell her time’s up.

Here are some of the learning through play things I’ve seen over the past couple weeks:

Our new Tangram puzzle from Great-Granny: she is learning patterns, matching, shapes and fine motor skills (as she very carefully places a small piece in the middle of a picture between several pieces).

Don’t Break the Ice game from Grandma and Pappy: focusing on taking turns, hand eye coordination and cause and effect. (although, the point here seems to be to knock out one block at a time until there is no way to keep the man standing, then she knocks them all out as fast as she can, clearing the deck so to speak and cheering)

Whack-A-Mole game: this one is interesting and she is getting better each time she plays it. She is to match the colors, even going so far as to trade whackers in order to switch which color moles she is “allowed” to hit, even though I keep telling her that she can hit both colors during a 1 player game. She also is learning to coordinate and hit the correct mole at the correct time. Ironically, when using both whackers at the same time, the moles are almost guaranteed safety while the “ground” all around them gets pulverized.

Other play has focused on the dollhouse from Nana, with story lines and characters coming alive in her play (anyone know why make believe play makes kids use a high pitched, quiet voice?). The most amusing comment I heard was today. She was talking to her doll and said, “I need a daddy who can change a poopy and play!” She’s got her priorities down!

Tags: games, play
Filed under: Kid Phrases, Play, Preschool