In the first five years of a child’s life, their experiences have a big impact on their developmental outcomes. As teachers, parents, families and more, it’s important to understand exactly what happens during these early stages of development and how experiencing different stimuli can be the conduit for children to fully open their minds.
This blog highlights the benefits that educational supplies in early years development can have on children.
So, fingers on lips, and bums on seats...let’s begin.
Friends for life
We’ve all got that one friend who we’ve known for as long as we can remember.
A friend who was there when you first scrape your knee playing tig or when the dinner lady told you to GET INSIDE! as the heavens started to open. You then both run inside to grab your favourite boardgame and enjoy a lunch of wet play.
Socialising as a child can seem so innocent but can be so crucial in their life development. Creating personal connections is imperative to growth and making these new social interactions much less intimidating.
It allows children to develop skills that help them to become confident and independent as they grow. Having friends encourages children to grow their self-esteem and build resilience when faced with a curve ball that life will throw their way.
One of the ways children can become confident in unfamiliar social interactions is through role-play activities. Ideal for supporting imaginative play and a range of PSHE activities, children can be serving soft serve from an ice cream cart to becoming a cashier at their local shop.
Encourage your children to explore new social interactions.
Patience is a virtue
No one likes to wait.
Least of all children who have yet learned the importance of patience. They also haven’t developed the coping skills to be able to deal with waiting around. Teaching children patience is important as they’ll need it to be successful in school and in life.
We’ve discovered that starting small can often lead to big results.
Start by telling them to wait before being allowed for lunch for a couple of minutes. Or if they come to you a little upset to count down from ten before telling you why their world is ending!
As they get older, you can start to extend the time until they are allowed to do what they want. This exercise is designed so children can control their emotions and actions, even when they are anxious, or tired.
Another way patience can be taught is through learning.
Why not encourage children to play games using addition, subtraction and division through target maths boards? Or through alphabet match bingo, teaching children the names and sounds of the alphabet?
All things are difficult before they become easy, so show children how important patience is today.
Creativity in the classroom, at home and in life
In a world dominated by technology, getting children away from screens has never been more important to empower their creativeness.
Putting emphasis on being more creative will help spark your children’s natural curiosity, help them develop an approach of self-learning and inspire each child to fully unlock their creativeness.
Allowing children to develop their own ideas, and even turn such ideas into something that is tangible and can be held, helps to promote self-worth and satisfaction.
When a child creates a model out of playdoh, manipulates sand and water to create a sandcastle or uses their fingers to paint a piece of surrealism to rival Salvador Dali himself, this not only helps them to develop their hand and eye strength but also allows them to experience fun and new experiences.
Let children create the narrative through creative writing prompts to stimulate and inspire children to write the next superhero comic, fantasy world with friendly, furry creatures or the next gritty crime thriller… ok maybe not the latter!
A healthy body, a healthy mind.
Let’s get physical
Physical play as a child is any game or activity that gets children moving, jumping, running or skipping around. It includes sports like running, hopscotch or tig but also smaller exercises such as stretching or other smaller movements.
Both types of physical play are invaluable in early year development as they boost their fine motor skills and gross motor skills.
One of the ways to get children moving and improve their gross motor skills is through trikes, scooters, and bikes perfect for use in school playgrounds, at home or anywhere else for that matter.
The beauty of giving your kids wheels is they are ideal in letting your child improve their balance and help them grasp coordination, spatial awareness and an understanding of sharing and organisation.
Our differences make us stronger
We’re a more connected society thanks to technology which means it’s more important than ever to instil cultural awareness in children.
There are many layers to cultural awareness, but the overarching message is to understand and respect the difference between people and their diverse cultures.
Everyone has unique customs and traditions, and these should be celebrated.
Gaining an understanding of different people and communities is an integral part of understanding the world. Encourage children to discover new cultures through wooden figures representing European, African and Oriental families or enlighten children that not all are able bodied, and they need to be aware of personal challenges people may face in everyday life.
Let their minds run free
The early years of a child's life are crucial for their overall development and enabling access to brilliant educational supplies can have a lasting impact.
Shall we have a little round up of the blog?
- Socialising helps children develop important skills, build self-esteem, and create lasting connections.
- Teaching patience equips children with valuable coping skills and emotional control.
- Encouraging creativity fosters curiosity, self-learning, and self-worth.
- Physical play enhances motor skills and coordination.
- Finally, instilling cultural awareness promotes understanding, respect, and appreciation for diversity.
By recognising the significance of these developmental aspects and providing children with appropriate educational supplies, we can create a nurturing environment that allows them to fully unfold their potential and thrive in all areas of life.
If you need your own personal expert to help you choose the right educational supplies, lean on your friend Springboard, and we’ll point you in the right direction.
