Making Connections

HELPING YOUR CHILD MAKE CONNECTIONS

According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), play is a child’s context for learning. It is through play that children practice and reinforce what they’ve seen. One of the ways that children learn through play is by making connections. This happens when kiddos begin to discover how things in the world relate to each other. You might see this in action as children role-play a trip to the grocery store. You could observe them place items in a kid-sized grocery basket, scan them at the register, and then pretend to cook a meal and make a plate using the items they selected. Through play they have made the connection between where and how we purchase food and what we do with it.

You can help your child make connections by talking to them about what you do throughout the day. You might discuss your plan to make a certain dish for dinner and have your child help you gather the ingredients that you’ll need. You could point out different occupations in your community and describe to your child what that professional’s duty entails. Don’t forget to provide plenty of opportunities for children to engage in imaginative role-play so that they can make connections by acting out what you’ve discussed.

Play Street Museum’s uniquely themed locations and thoughtful curation of exhibits help children make real-world connections too. Our museum exhibits provide multiple opportunities for children to learn through play as they role play what they’ve seen in the world around them like feeding animals on The Farm, fishing in the Great Outdoors, or putting out fires in the Town Square (to name a few examples). It is this intentionality that makes Play Street the perfect place for children to make real-world connections and to learn the way that they do best- through play! Click here to find your closest PSM!