Making Time for Play

Friday, October 07, 2011

With the school year now in full swing, it's easy to get caught up in homework, assignments, and countless hours of study. Believe you me, school work is a priority in our home. Yet, my children are still children and what better way to enjoy free time than through play. I also make a point of incorporating some form of play into the classroom as well. It's a great way for students to practise their French in an informal setting and it also gives me a chance to assess their oral communication. By simply adding the element of play through games and activities that get students up and out of their seats, students are afforded the opportunity to engage themselves in a way that may be more appealing than pen and paper work. Boardgames and toys such as bouncy balls really get them excited and eager to participate. They often don't even realize that they're learning and speaking in French!

After all the fun of teaching is over, I head over to the daycare to pick up my own children. On days like today, where the weather is absolutely gorgeous, my kids beg to hang out at the playground. My daughter is now in school full-time so she doesn't have an opportunity to play there any longer. She really misses it so of course we have to hang out there for a while. She loves to hang from the monkey bars while my son loves using the climbing wall and sliding down the slides.

On days where it's cold or wet, we often head home, get some homework out of the way and then work on a puzzle, play a game on the Wii such as Wii Sports Resort or Wii Fit, pull out some of our newest boardgames or sometimes we just turn on the music and have our own little dance party! (This one's my favourite!) Lately, my daughter has taken a keen interest in drawing and colouring. My son loves to play with his cars and uses his imagination to turn virtually any area into a parking lot. I enjoy watching them play on their own and learning what they're really interested in.

KINDER® believes in imaginative play and continues to strive to create moments of joy for families across Canada. If you haven't visited the Kinder Canada Facebook page, you'll be interested to know that 10 Lucky community members are going to win a KINDER® gift basket full of goodies worth $200! This is just the first of many exciting promotions and contests being offered on their Facebook page, so be sure to check in often to stay up to date on the latest and greatest.

So how do you make time for play?

Disclosure: I’m part of the KINDER® Mom program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own