"They're just playing."
How many times have we heard this? But at Eco Wonder Schools, we know that play IS the work of childhood. When a child is "just playing" in our garden, they're actually:
- Developing gross motor skills as they dig, carry, and climb
- Learning science by observing caterpillars, mixing mud, and watching plants grow
- Building math concepts through sorting seeds, measuring water, and counting petals
- Expressing creativity by building structures, mixing colors from flowers, and telling stories
- Developing language by narrating their play and communicating with peers
The Reggio Emilia approach teaches us that children are natural researchers. Every puddle is a laboratory, every flower is a specimen, and every pile of dirt is a construction site.
Next time someone says your child is "just playing," smile and know that they're actually engaged in the most important work of their young lives.