Since childhood, play occupies an important place in the development of children. Playing stimulates the brain of kids and helps the early development of skills related to cognition, language or motor coordination. However, sometimes it’s considered something complementary, an extra activity that only has space when academic and extracurricular obligations are over.
Of course, games also involves mental activity, since it frequently involves aspects such as reasoning, research or creation. It is evident that playing brings intellectual benefits to children, therefore, using play and fun as a learning methodology is essential.
The benefits of technology are innumerable, and one of them has precisely been the proliferation of online educational games, the birth of platforms that allow you to transform exercises and provide them with interactivity. Computers, mobiles or tablets are not limited as entertainment devices, they can also have educational functions if they are used in a didactic way.
Online learning is great for those students who enjoy the connecting link between technology and education. The interactive worksheets are a great example of this type of activity, traditional exercises turned into entertaining tasks with which they learn while having fun. The proper union of learning and entertainment can bring numerous benefits to a child since the confrontation with certain contents or topics can be better received if they are approached with a good pedagogical approach.
Creating interactive content is very important when it comes to the encounter between the student and the instructional information. The goal is for them to reflect, feel motivated and get involved from a more intense interaction than just passive learning. Learning through playing makes the acquisition of knowledge much easier and more natural. It’s a very effective way to develop skills such as attention or creativity, and it helps to fix and retain knowledge. It’s about learning in a practical and functional way, causing a student to establish connections between concepts and generate ideas with their own criteria.
Games are tools that predisposes the child to learn. When a teacher creates interactive activities, is helping to reinforce what has been learned in a simpler way than by memorizing theoretical concepts. It is a more pleasant way to acquire new skills through enjoyable practices, also boost the integral development of children.
To think that playing is just a hobby is wrong. Games should not be only reduced to the playful function, as we have seen, it contributes effectively and positively to the aspects of children's growth as a whole.