By Pam Woodbury

Play is a child's work, or so the saying goes.  While you may or may not agree with this statement, I have always been amazed by how much children learn through play.  In our home, we are always working on one unit study or another, during which almost all of the children's play reflects what we have been learning.  For example, while studying the Ancient Greeks, they constantly devised scenes, built out of Legos, from various myths.  While studying the Middle Ages, castles made from cardboard, toilet paper rolls and craft sticks could be found in various degrees of completeness, while knights, maidens, and kings roamed the chambers.  If we happen to be reading a Redwall book for our read-aloud, or if one of the children is reading them on his own, it is not unusual to hear mole speech or hare talk at the dinner table.  All of these are examples of how children internalize, review, and demonstrate understanding of the material being presented.

Building toys are especially good for discovering patterns, relationships, symmetry, balance, proportion, and on and on and on.  Even though it may appear that the child is just playing, he is in reality building not only solid objects on the floor, but also abstract ideas in his mind.  When formally introduced to these concepts in mathematics and science, he will already have a working knowledge on which to build.

Along with building toys, games are excellent for learning.  Personally, I am of the opinion that just about any game teaches to some degree.  If a choice needs to be made, the player must decide which move will place him in the best position possible.  By doing so, the player learns strategy.  If the game is of the simpler sort often played by the very young, the player learns to take turns and hopefully, in time, sportsmanship.  Then there are the games designed to introduce, practice and review academic skills in an engaging, fun and challenging environment.  Whether store-bought or homemade, these games provide an excellent alternative to the standard textbook approach to learning.

Therefore, encouraging and supporting play of all of these types is not just ok, it is recommended.  Sometimes the only effort on your part is to supply the time and materials and to be available when the child wants to tell you everything he has created.  Other times, both you and your child will enjoy interaction over a favorite game.  Either way, a child's work really can be play!