Unstructured Child Development

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Researches and many child development theorists suggests play to be an increasingly more varied and complex activity with significant influence on the physical, cognitive and social development of children (Kearns 2010). A balance between both types of play, structured and unstructured, can significantly benefit children in their development. Children attempt achieving pre-existing objectives set by an adult in structured play while establishing their own objectives in free/unstructured play (Pettersen 2013). Many researches have shown play to enhance children 's motor skills along with their physical well-being (Kearns 2010). In addition, many experiments conducted suggests that group play facilitate development of basic social skills including understanding and taking others ' perspectives into …show more content…
Muscle strength and gross motor skills such as the ability to move one body part independently of another, flexibility in muscles and joints for easy movement, locomotion skills, such as jumping and manipulative skills including reaching are frequently enhanced during functional play (Brown et al. 2000; Kearns 2010). Fine motor skills, including the ability to release objects with precision and control, and using fingers separately are developed through activities such as digging and building with sand, gently handling caterpillars or other insects, and joining building blocks (Kearns 2010). In addition, perceptual motor skills, primarily, hand-eye and foot-eye coordination, static and dynamic balance are enhanced during ball games, balancing on beams, walking on sand and climbing activities where they gain an increase in control over their muscles by resisting gravity (Brown et al. 2000; Kearns 2010) . Visual and auditory perception is also continuously developed through play (Kearns

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