Many parents think that letting their children play alone means they are abandoning them. But in reality, playing alone is an ideal time for children to explore the world around them and learn many new things. So what are the benefits of children playing alone? Parents are invited to learn together in the following article.
What is independent play for children?
Children's independent play or solitary play is the stage where children play by themselves. This is one of the stages of play when children have not yet developed social skills to connect and interact with others.
When children play independently, they will explore many different aspects of their environment. For example, children can contact objects with their senses and control different objects as they wish.
When do children play alone?
Babies from 2 to 3 months old can see different colors and shapes of objects. Entering the age of 4 to 6 months, children begin to reach and interact with surrounding objects. However, each child will have a certain amount of time to reach the milestone of playing alone, which can be slow or fast depending on the development of each child.
Reasons why children don't like to play independently?
Children always want to be loved and cared for by their parents and relatives. And having someone to play with is the way children feel that most clearly.
Many parents are often busy with work so they have little time to spend with their children. Therefore, babies always want to play with their parents at any time.
From a young age, children are used to always having someone hug and comfort them next to them. Therefore, if children play alone they will feel empty and lonely.
The benefits of children playing alone
Here are some benefits of children playing alone that not all parents know:
Form children's independence
Independent play will help children realize that they can play on their own without depending on others. In this process, toys play an important role to help children play on their own. At the same time, children also feel happy when interacting and giving affection to that toy.
Develop intelligence
Playing alone is an activity that encourages children to brainstorm to think of many entertainments for themselves. If children encounter difficulties, they also find ways to solve the problem themselves. This helps a lot in developing children's early intelligence.
Improve concentration
Children playing alone means they have full control over the game, deciding what to play and how to play. Thanks to that, children can focus on participating in games or exploring toys for a long time.
Stimulates creativity and imagination
If playing with adults, children are often guided by conventional logic. When children play alone, they are free to play in the way they imagine. Children can explain things in their own way when interacting with toys and objects.
Enhance children's problem-solving ability
Independent play also has the ability to encourage children to think and solve problems. Parents can notice that children who play alone early will have perseverance and solve problems quite well.
Develop children's motor skills
Children playing alone have many opportunities to explore everything around them, learn about how to use objects, and how to play with each type of toy. From there, children will develop observation skills, grasping skills and both gross and fine motor skills.
Explore your child's interests
Each child will have different preferences about toys and how to play. Some children like to play with cars, some children like assembly toys, model toys or kitchen toys... Through this, parents can easily understand their child's interests and personality.
Bring joy to children
When children start playing alone, it is time for them to find joy without the help of others. This activity helps children bring their thoughts and fantasies into reality and makes them feel happy and relaxed.
Easily adapt to new environments
Early independent play helps children adapt easily when changing to new environments. Regardless of the space, at home or in the classroom, children can still play and enjoy exploring everything around them. This activity also helps children experience "separation crises" more gently.
Parents have time to rest
In addition to the benefits mentioned above, children playing alone also helps parents have time for themselves. Instead of spending all day with their children, parents have more time to rest, relax, do personal chores, clean the house...
Above are the benefits of children playing alone that parents can refer to. Parents should teach children to play independently slowly, gradually increasing the time for children to get used to it. Don't forget to follow Mykingdom's " Handbook " section for more useful information for parents!
