Play School Singapore – Understanding Life in a Playschool
The dictionary definition of a play school (or preschool) is an educational institution for children who are not old enough for elementary school. The meaning as understood by most parents though is different. For parents, a play school is a place where children of similar ages meet each other, play, and learn few things under the guidance of some teachers.
Whatever the definition, a play group is definitely not a place where children get formal education. What they do get in a play school is their first feel of independence, something like a “baby’s day out”.
In a play school, children are away from their parents for few hours and spend time with other children of their own age.
With increasing number of couples following full time careers, play schools have become major contributors to the proper growth of children.
Most of the learning activities in a play school help the children grow better and become independent. This independence could be in the form of eating food on their own, keeping themselves clean, dressing up on their own, and other basic things.
A play school also teaches children social manners as they interact with other children.
But ‘education’ in a play school is not confined to general habits of eating, napping, etc. Activities in a play school can be categorized into those that happen indoor and those that happen outdoors.
Outdoor activities can help develop the physical and mental abilities of children. Some good play schools have also started constructing special swimming pools for kids.
These low depth swimming pools allow children to learn swimming and develop their physical strength without exposing them to any danger. Certain play schools also have pet animals present on the campus and train children to love and appreciate animals. Many play schools also arrange regular visits to zoos, aquariums, parks, etc. to educate children about nature and wildlife.
Parents generally prefer not exposing their children to computers or television at an early age. But the fact remains that both media are an important part of life and education. Many play schools are now turning towards computer- and television-based games and recreational activities such as dancing and singing to develop the senses of children and also get them accustomed to these media. Rather than having any adverse effects, properly controlled usage of these media can really boost the overall development of children.
The bottom line is that play schools have an important part to play in the overall development and education of children. Whatever the argument against play schools, they have now become the norm and most parents prefer to enroll their children in these institutions.
Not only do children improve the rate of their individual, social, behavioral, and psychological growth in play schools, they also gain confidence and come out with wealth of experience gained from their day-to-day interactions. At the same time, play schools prepare the children for entry into the more formalized education environment of primary schools.
