VERY VERY IMPORTANT

he most important activity for children is to play. Starting with intelligent toys and finishing with home utensils, children love to imagine all kinds of new games. The play is very important in a child's life because it helps developing a lot of skills very useful later in their life. Parents should be an active part of their children play because not only sets a good, nurturing relationship between the two sides but also they can help children understand new things and learn faster
I enjoy watching children playing and inventing games and I am amazed of their power of imagination and their creativity. Let's take for example the simple game of Lego. Children have the opportunity to express themselves and build all sorts of things. From the simple cube and the complex structures, the possibilities are infinite.
Children playing together is a very nice view also. I like to watch them playing games where they imitate the behavior of adults and pretend to go to jobs or cook meals or repair different things. They put a lot of effort in these games and they act very serious and they expect to be treated with seriousness by their parents and other adults.
Lately, a new type of games appeared for children: computer games and the whole variety of PlayStation and Nintendo and etc. Children playing on computers is very common now, but this kind of activity should be supervised by an adult and children should not be allowed to play more then one hour a day.

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LET THEM PLAY

How much time do you purposefully spend playing with your six month to six year old child? Believe it or not over the last two decades child's play has decreased 50%. However, years of research has shown that during early childhood stages of growth, children develop skills that they can only get through play. Early childhood play is also crucial to the phys­i­cal, intel­lec­tual, and social-emotional devel­op­ment at all ages, especially from six months to six years of age.
The decline of early childhood play can be linked to the pressures that have been place on educators and parents mainly through policy makers that early academics will lead to a greater success in life. Although some studies conclude that some children may benefit from a greater diet of academics than play, it is not true in most cases. Some of the problems that research has discovered in the study of academia vs play is that the lack of self-initiated forms of play, imaginative play, the development of social skills and loving interactive play have actually resulted in a higher level anx­i­ety and neg­a­tive atti­tudes in chil­dren. Research also reveals that children who have had a large portion of play time removed from their daily schedule and have had it replaced with academic studies, in most incidences, show little to no advan­tages in read­ing and math achieve­ment over children who have a fair amount of daily play time.
Another thing to consider, play is motivated by pleasure not pressure and it cannot be legislated because it is a natural response that opens the door to early childhood development. This is where educational toys play a major role in both academic and play time for children. Educational toys provide a venue for children to expand their imagination, enhance their motor shills, increase their curiosity, stimulate their creativity, and promote learning while having fun. They also promote interaction between adults and children. Research shows that learning is enhanced when adults participate in daily play with children.
As children play, their young minds are stimulated which encourages them to interact and explore the world around them. Their play is actually preparing them for future tasks and adulthood. Another benefit of introducing educational toys into a child's daily play time during their early years is that they can provide the stimulation and experiences that create a foundation of learning and growing.
Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning....They have to play with what they know to be true in order to find out more, and then they can use what they learn in new forms of play.
--Fred Rogers of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood

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THE BENEFITS OF PLAYING OUTSIDE

Despite the fact that the benefits of children playing outside are substantial and significant, children nowadays often spend their time-unfortunately-glued to the television set, computer screen, cell phone, or other technological gadget. However, children who aren't spending enough time outside are missing out.
No matter the time of year or their particular age, children can benefit greatly from playing outside. There are several obvious physical benefits:
Exercise
Obesity in children is a growing problem around the world, particularly in North America. While diet plays a major role in a child's weight and overall health, physical activity is also a significant factor. North Americans, unfortunately, are becoming notorious for diets high in fat, sugar, sodium, and chemicals and low in important vitamins and minerals, as well as for a general lack of physical activity.
However, kids naturally love being physically active, whether they realize it or not. Why not give them more opportunity to realize and explore this natural love by letting them play outdoors, using age-appropriate supervision and activities, as necessary? They will have fun and get some much-needed exercise at the same time.
Playing outside will not only help prevent obesity, but it will also help children build stronger bones and muscles, improve their cardiovascular health and lung capacity and function, help them sleep better at night, and reduce their risk of disease, to include diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure.
Vitamin D
Children often lack sufficient vitamin D, which is found naturally in sunlight-the best source of this vitamin. Vitamin D is necessary for the body to be able to properly use and absorb calcium and also improves the immune system and reduces inflammation. Children who don't spend enough time outdoors are at risk of vitamin D deficiency, which can cause health problems.
The benefits of children playing outside are not only physical but also psychological.
Laughter, the best medicine
Studies have shown that playing outside helps children to laugh more, which, in turn, helps relieve stress; improve the immune system, helping protect kids against viruses and infections; and increase mental health and alertness.
The great outdoors: a great teacher
The great outdoors makes a great teacher for children. Playing outside teaches a child about nature and the environment; how to play, share, and get along with other children; how to be adventurous and take appropriate risks; how to use reason and logic; and how to be resourceful and use their imagination.
Outside activities
While children certainly don't need fancy equipment to be able to play well, and happily, outside-running, jumping, climbing, playing tag, hide-and-seek, or other simple games, and exploring are all fantastic outdoor activities-many children enjoy using or playing with something while outside. Outdoor toys, balls, skipping ropes, bicycles, and scooters, for example, can quickly and easily enhance a child's outside-playing experience.

Getting the kids outside to exercise in the day of video games can be difficult. Items like the Rockboard are gaining popularity both with children and parents. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Belac_Shep

WHY DO THEY LOVE TO PLAY?

Play is quite funny to adults because it is free of purpose. To play is to allow yourself the chance to explore and show things without fear of judgement. If adults played more often the world might be a less stressed place.
When babies and children play they are not concerned about learning particular skills, they are just expressing themselves and having fun. But researchers tell us that play is an essential part of growing up. It leads to children being able to communicate, express themselves and concentrate which is fundamental to getting on in the world.
Children play because it helps them to make sense of the world around them. Researchers have also found that it does not matter where in the world children are, they still play in similar ways. But play does develop differently in different cultures as children begin to understand values and the rules of particular societies. So play will change as a baby's society changes.
Encourage children to play because it is the one time in their lives when they can truly be children. And it is wonderful to see and learn from.
Nursey Toys Guide for further information and advice about playing with babies from birth to two years old

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