Importance Of Playgroups And Nurseries In Shaping Up Your Child

Play groups and nurseries have turned popular today, with many parents believing that it helps to shape the personality of their young children. It would be best to understand what are nurseries and playgroups, so we understand their importance in shaping a child.  

Preschools or the intermediary between home and big school may be of 2 types, namely preschool playgroups and nurseries. While playgroups are for children between the ages of 2 to 5 years where children generally play with children of their own age group, nurseries take children aged 3 and 4 years old, just a year before the first school year. Both nurseries as well as playgroups offer a range of structured educational experiences based on learning through play.

It would be best now to understand the significant role played by playgroups and nurseries in shaping your child.

• A child that is between 2 to 3 years is generally ready for playgroups and nurseries. Both of them offer different and more organized play experiences than the one that the child had at home. Children move from being single to becoming a part of a group offering a big jump from being with the mother or child minder in a single location.

• Next most preschool playgroups offer short session either in the morning or afternoon; this helps to ease the child from home into a more sociable childcare setting. Here children learn how to play and have fun with other children of the same age. It is the first step where the child learns in the absence of parents.

• Preschool playgroups have helped develop confidence, social and cognitive skills and provide a good transitional base between home and 'big' school.

• Both in a playgroup as well as a nursery school the children are exposed to a wide variety of play equipment like climbing frames and other adventure toys that may not be available at home. Also each group will have a varied mix of toys, games, singing, story-time, reading, painting, play dough, art and craft activities, with a free play or outdoor area for children to run around in. This helps children get physical activity in addition to mental stimulation.

• Children going to playgroup as well as nursery start having fun playing in groups and pretense games. Children also learn to listen to others and follow instructions of both other children and teachers and also learn to effectively give instructions.

• Both playgroups as well as nurseries help to increase the confidence and independence of children; children not only enjoy companionship of other children but also play well with other children. It is also significant to find that they also learn to nurture relationships with adults other than their parents and learn they can be liked and trusted.

• It is also true that joining a nursery or a playgroup is a big adventure for kids as they learn for the first time to do something on their own or with other adults than their relatives and close friends.

As a last note playgroups and nurseries are valuable as children gain from these happy separations; not to forget the valuable “my” time that parents get to rejuvenate and contribute better to childcare.  

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