The Importance of a Play in Preschool

At Mother Hubbard, we believe in the power of play. Our play-based program has extensive benefits for our three-year-old and four-year-old preschool students. In fact, students often hear from their teachers that their most important job of the day is to play! 

These are some of the benefits of play in early childhood education programs for you to consider:

Play Helps Children Develop Their Language Skills
While playing with one another, children in preschool spend a lot of time talking and listening. This is one of the best ways for them to improve their understanding of language, to learn how to have conversation and to develop their listening skills.

Play Allows Students to Socialize 
During playtime, students have the opportunity to interact with their friends in an age-appropriate way. These interactions can at times lead to confrontation — but it is through these interactions that they learn. They begin to understand social norms and they learn how to interact in a group setting. When students begin a three-year preschool program, they often start out enjoying side-by-side play. By the time they finish their four-year preschool program, they are often enjoying interactive play with their classmates.

Play Develops Fine and Gross Motor Skills
Play is one of the easiest ways to help young learners develop their fine and gross motor skills. In our classroom, fine motor skill development is encouraged through stringing beads, working with play dough and creating art projects. Gross motor development is encouraged by allowing students to enjoy our climbing equipment and offering plenty of movement activities.

Play Encourages Creativity
Preschool students are notorious for having amazing imaginative skills. However, they can only put these skills to use if they are given plenty of unstructured, open-ended play time. We love watching our students come up with new ways to enjoy their time in the classroom together. 

Mother Hubbard preschoolers enjoy ample free time during class, allowing them to explore the classroom centers and choose what they want to play with. Our classroom includes a variety of play areas and centers, appealing to students of all interests and abilities. For example, we have a dress up area, pretend kitchen, play dough table, artist easels, blocks and more. We rotate our toys and centers, often setting out items that complement our current weekly theme. 
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To learn more about how students in our program benefit from a play-based curriculum, contact us today.