How Play=Learning!

Do you wonder why we include such a wide variety of activities in our Tots Play classes? The reason is that young children learn best when they are using their whole body and all of their senses, and having varied opportunities for play is the most effective way to help them on this journey of development!

To make the most of this, all our activities are carefully designed to not only encourage development in all of the senses, but also learning and development across the seven areas of learning as stated in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Most important, though, they are designed so that each child can participate in his or her own way, and are so much fun that they can’t wait to join in!

Physical development, for example, is encouraged through our yoga inspired movements and the music that accompanies them as well as through the free play element of the classes, with equipment such as tunnels, scooter boards, balls, hoops, quoits and soft shapes.

Other parts of the class provide personal, social, and emotional development by encouraging children to interact with both their favourite grown ups and other children, make their own choices, such as which items to examine from our sensory collections and solve problems, such as how to climb in, out or over a piece of equipment.

Often, a single activity at class provides opportunities for learning in many different ways. Through playing with the trug bucket in the picture, Logan, from one of our Social Tots classes, has worked on his physically development - sitting down, standing up, and using his core to rock the trug, cognitive skills, deciding which from all the available items to play with, and working out how to get in and out of the trug, and imagination - is the trug a boat for our song “Row row your boat” or a bus for our song “Wheels on the bus” the possibilities are endless and so much fun!!

All these opportunities combine to boost each child’s self-esteem and confidence, encouraging further exploration and learning.

At Tots Play each week brings new opportunities for learning through play in a friendly and welcoming environment, where your little one will soon feel comfortable and confident to explore and you can enjoy special moments together. Why not come along and try it for yourself?

Classes are available across the country, with Social Tots suitable from babies from 8mths (mobile) to 2+, Discovery Tots suitable from 8wks to active crawling, and Baby Development suitable from birth. Find your local class HERE.

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