Children learn best through play, whether alone or with a group. Still, children can benefit more from playgroups because kids can:
- Play and interact with children of different ages
- Get to know other children
- Hone their social skills (learn how to better get along)
- Start to learn how to share and cooperate (e.g. sharing toys, taking turns, cooperating with other children when doing something interesting)
- Have more fun
What are playgroups?
In a playgroup, children play and carry out activities together (while the adults are still around supervising). It’s a relaxed setup for children to get together and interact with one another (or just play and run around).
In playgroups, children can meet once a week. Here, there are no clear objectives and playtime is often unstructured. As a result, the interactions among children can be relaxed and natural. In addition, they have more freedom to explore and try out new activities together. It’s also a way for children with the same interests to naturally come together (sub-groups might naturally form within that playgroup).
How playgroups can also benefit parents and carers
Playgroups can help children with their early development (cognitive, physical, social and emotional). These can also benefit parents and carers because they can get to:
- Get along with other parents
- Make new friends
- Share tips and experiences about raising children
- Learn from others and learn more about the community
- Better connect with childcare services in your area
This can be valuable to both first-time parents and those with their second or third child. They can gain useful information that can help them better raise their children.
More importantly, it’s about helping children with their development through more time and interactions with other kids. Interacting with other children can help them better practice their communication and social skills. In groups, they can also start to learn the value and fun with sharing. It’s also a great way for children to have fun and accomplish tasks together.