What’s better? Structured or free play?
Structured play vs. free play! Somewhere along your parenting journey
you’ll come across these two words and begin to wonder which is more valuable
than the other. At Ready Steady Go we value them both and that’s why you’ll
notice an element of each within a Ready Steady Go session.
Structured play, or "play with a purpose," is any activity
that offers your child a specific learning objective, for example in a Ready
Steady Go setting the goal would be to learn to point a throw a ball.
Structured play activities and games that are generally instructor-led where
the instructor sets the tone for the play. While an activity is ‘structured’ it
doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not fun. At Ready Steady Go you’ll see ‘structured
play’ in a variety of the gross motor skills being learnt. And as a parent, you
can feel confident your little one is slowly acquiring those skills, while
still having fun.
Free play, on the other hand, centres on non-structure where kids are
free to let their imaginations and creativity run wild as they enjoy the moment
they’re in. Children are naturally motivated to play. That’s why you’ll see fun
elements during a Ready Steady Go session that targets this component of ‘free
play’. Not only is your little one discovering and developing through play, but
when they’re having fun, they’re more likely to create positive associations
with that activity and want to do it over and over again. You’ll see this kind
of ‘free play’ at a Ready Steady Go session when the instructor throws all the
balls in the air and the kids have to scamper off to get it, or when the
instructors are playfully chasing the kids, or during any of the games
specifically allocated for your child’s ‘free play’ growth.
Before you find your bias towards one or the other, think about your
child’s developmental needs and how each of these elements are essential to
their mental and physical growth. Kids need a sense of security in the
‘familiarity’. They like to know what’s happening and what’s going to come
next. A repetitive structure aids their security and helps them to engage in an
activity because of the predictability. Even as adults we like to know what’s
going to happen next, so imagine the importance to a child who hasn’t quite
figured out the big world and is still trying to piece it together slowly. Kids
also need lots of fun and freedom to roam to discover the world. Every child
needs a little of both kinds of play.
So, next time you bring your child to a Ready Steady Go class have a
lookout for these two elements and then take a breather knowing that your child
is in a secure place that feeds their creativity, while develops their gross
motor skills for the years ahead.
