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As your child begins to grow up, it is vital that he or she have enough time just for play. Playing can be beneficial for children emotionally, developmentally, and educationally. If your child is an only child or if you do not have a lot of friends with children, you may want to consider enrolling your little one in preschool. Not only will this offer educational benefits to the child, but it can also offer a lot of other important benefits just from the time the child will spend playing while he or she is there. Here are several of the developmental benefits your child will receive if you make playtime a priority.

Cognitive Skills

Cognitive skills are crucial for the brain, and they involve things such as imagining and pretending. According to experts, playtime for kids has decreased in the last few decades; however, playing builds crucial skills. If you want your child to learn how to problem solve and think outside of the box, you must give him or her an ample amount of time to play.

Children can use and build their cognitive skills while playing with almost anything or anyone. For example, you may watch two small boys on a playground pretending to be pirates. They run around trying to stay away from the bad guys, and they use their brains to determine a strategy to find the treasure. This game may seem like just an ordinary game, but to kids, it can be very realistic, fun, and daring. As kids play games like this, they will learn to think in ways that are creative and unique, and this builds a child's cognitive skills.

Social Skills

Most parents realize that it's good for kids to play with other kids for social benefits, but do you really realize just how good group playtime is for kids? When kids must work and play together with other kids, they will learn several crucial life skills, which are also beneficial for your child's development.

The first skill is cooperation. In the pirate game example from above, the kids playing together must find common ground. They must learn how to work together to determine the strategy, goals, and point of the game.

The second skill is conflict resolution. At some point in the game, something may go wrong and one child might be upset about it. If the kids want to continue playing the game, they must learn how to resolve the conflict. To do this, the kids must talk to each other and try to find a way to make everyone happy with the game.

The third important skill this teaches is how to share and take turns, which is a skill most kids do not truly understand until they are around the age of five. If the game had one really bad pirate and each child wanted to be this pirate, they would have to learn how to take turns doing this.

Motor Skills

A third type of developmental skill is motor skills. Motor skills are used for movement, balance, and coordination. These skills involve learning how to use the right muscles for various activities, and they are vital for a child's development. These skills eventually help children learn how to write, complete math problems, and pay attention in school, and this is why they are so important for kids to develop.

Playing board games or building towers with blocks are great ways to build motor skills, but almost any type of play can also be helpful.

Preschool is a great way to prepare little children for regular school, but it also offers so many other benefits, including the ability to play with others. As your child plays with other kids, he or she will be building all the skills listed here. To learn more, contact a preschool in your area, such as Kid's Country Child Care & Learning Center, today.