Let kids play

By Dr Bill Maier

Watching a child’s mind develop is a fascinating process.

A child’s brain begins to grow and develop from the moment of conception. In fact, studies done on newborns show that they recognise stories that were read to them while they were still in the womb. Young babies don’t appear to be doing much more than sleeping and eating, but they’re amazingly intelligent. And they learn new things every day.

At age two, imagination kicks into high gear, and kids start to learn through make-believe. When we see them playing house or dress-up they’re actually stimulating their cognitive growth. Each game instills new reasoning and critical thinking skills.

Then around seven, they become more logical and practical thinkers. They play games like checkers and Battleship, learning to solve problems that they couldn’t have done before.

So encourage your kids to play all they want, and have fun watching their brains grow.

From TODAY, Voices - Monday, 03-May-2010
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