I just read an article by David Elkind titled Preschool Academics: Learning What Comes Naturally and it reaffirmed what we here at The Adventurous Child have been saying all along, outdoor play is truly one of the best ways for children to learn. Elkind states that “play in early childhood is neither a waste of time nor a luxury; it is a fundamental mode of learning.”
Consider a child sitting on the preschool playground with a pile of rocks. Almost instinctively he will begin to separate them, first by size and then by color. Sorting and sequencing are the beginning steps of childhood mathematics. He is having fun while learning in a self-initiated, age appropriate way.
What are your children learning on your preschool playground?