Worried About Sending Your Kids to School to ‘Just’ Play? Read This!

Ever find yourself thinking “I’m not sending my kids to school to just play”? If so, it will interest you to know that playing is a lot more than ‘just’ having fun. Here’s why play-based learning is more important than you think!

On the surface, the concept of play seems frivolous — something to indulge in when there is time to spare, a way to occupy those idle hours children have during their day. So for adults, the idea of paying for their children to attend an early years programme to ‘just’ play may seem unnecessary.

In reality, however, play is the vital work of childhood, and a play-based early childhood programme could be the best investment you make in your child’s life.

Discover the Different Types of Play Your Child Enjoys

As you sip your tea and watch your child build their latest masterpiece out of blocks or create an imaginary world with their animal figures, you may not realise that they are making the internal connections that will lead to advanced social, emotional and academic growth later in life.

The types of play that children enjoy include:
– Physical
– Imaginative
– Sensory
– Inventive
– Outdoor

Children should have the opportunity to experience all types of play during their early years, as this promotes physical development as well as social and academic growth.

Understand the Importance of Play-Based Learning

Play-based learning gives children the freedom they need to explore the world around them and connect with it in their own way. A child who is dropping different objects into a tub of water is not just making a mess; they are discovering that some things float and others do not. A pair of children who are dressed up in costumes and engaged in role-play are learning social norms and cues while expanding their imaginations. Play-based learning supports cognitive growth and development while simultaneously helping children develop the independence and confidence they need to move forward in their young lives.

What Play-Based Learning Looks Like in the Classroom

Play-based learning is at the heart of the Early Childhood programme at OWIS Nanyang and OWIS Suntec. On any given day, you will find children immersed in classroom life as they explore topics and themes through play. For example, children are given an opportunity to head to the outdoor learning area, where they can collect natural items to create patterns with them. Or, they may be gathered in groups around sensory tables where they can explore different textures and uncover hidden treasures. In the springtime, the sensory table may be filled with soil as well as pretend vegetables, transforming the space into a wonderland for a child’s imagination.

At One World International School Nanyang campus and One World International School Suntec campus, educators pride themselves on the interactive and engaging play-based learning experiences they offer. The highly trained staff members incorporate the best early childhood practices into the classroom while personalising the experience for each individual child, ultimately providing them with the foundation they need to thrive in the years ahead.

For more information about what preschool education in Singapore looks like at OWIS Nanyang and OWIS Suntec, please contact the Admissions Team. You can also schedule a school tour of the campuses.

Ready to let your child start on their wonderful educational journey with play?

One World International School
– Nanyang Campus, 21 Jurong West Street 81, Singapore 649075, Tel: (+65) 6914 6700, [email protected]
–  OWIS Suntec, 1 Raffles Blvd, Suntec City, Level 3, Singapore 039593, Tel: (+65) 69147240, [email protected]