Experimental Play and Why?

There has been one thing that I was told coming into step-parenting that has completely stuck into my mind. At first I did not understand it, but now it is safe to say I knew exactly what the person had said is true.

Children cannot be taught.

They accidentally learn.

This is now my biggest thing I will say to anyone. More so in the early development stages (aged 1-6).

Now that I look back in life, I only remember the basics, and things that really fascinated me from school.

I still remember the day I had an argument with my school teacher about whether lightning goes up or down. He explained it as "neuron's travel down the sky to form the charge but the light flashes up, so lightning travels up"

I (the smarty bum I was) replied with "bit if the neuron's travel down then lightning still travels down. So maybe you need to rephrase your question as, does the light of lightning travel up or down"

Something so simple but it amused me.

Anyways.. Back on track.

Throughout everything, I have now realised "children accidentally learn things" as they learn through play. The sensory area's mainly, as well as fine motor. A couple weeks ago, Trinity learnt what colours make what when mixed together, like pink is made from red and white through her finger painting, best bit being she figured it all out by herself and spent 3 days telling me all about it.. Then she learnt that all the colours mixed together look like 'poo' (as she put it), as that's what her finger paintings look like in the end from all of the paint she used.

For a child to learn, they need to have the attention from their parent/guardians and try new things everyday.

Xander earlier on into the year, was not fully developed in his speech.

Through playing with Cars, we spoke to Xander. Even something as simple as "Hello Blue Car, how are you today?" he suddenly spoke "I'm good, red car. How are you?"

It may of taken him a bit to say it, but he finally did. That was his first extended sentence I had heard from Xander in June 2013, and now in December 2013, after many of days of play, he is quite fluently talking.

Even if it's as simple as, reading a book every night to your child, they will form an imagination and become excellent story tellers.

Go buy cheap paints from the reject shop for your toddler/child, they will learn to finger paint, manipulate their hands so the paint will go where they want and learn about mixing colour.

Create a jump the word on the floor where your child jumps from word to word so they can start to recognize easy words like, the, and and to.

Just remember that things don't progress as quick as you want, and you will need to also have a creative mind to have these educational, but they don't know it, games. Key is to not push your child. Every child will progress in their own time :)

All you can do is nurture it :)

Here are a couple photo's from our finger painting session :)

Oh the concentration and the quietness was bliss as I made dinner

Thanks for reading :)