Playdates are more than just fun. They are an integral part of your child’s overall development.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, play can contribute to the development of your children’s physical, cognitive, social, and emotional well-being.
Play is also a great opportunity for them to socialize with other kids and build friendships.
Benefits of Playdates for Kids
When kids are at play, they get to use their creativity and imagination. This furthers their cognitive development and enhances skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
Playing with others is a natural environment for your kids to interact with their peers and develop their social skills. Through play, they get to do things such as cooperating, negotiating, and resolving conflicts.
Moreover, they can improve their language and communication through their interactions with one another when they are talking and gesturing. These are crucial skills for your kids to learn as they learn how to effectively communicate with others and forge friendships.
More active forms of play such as running, jumping, and sports can contribute to a child’s physical development. This is where they develop their motor skills, balance and coordination, and fitness level.
One lesser-known benefit is their emotional development. Play is an excellent outlet for kids to share their emotions in a safe environment and it allows them to build that empathy with others. It also allows them to build up their confidence and self-esteem when they are able to master new skills or achieve their goals.
10 Playdate Ideas to Try
Here are some great playdate ideas to try with your kids for both indoor and outdoor play.
Painting
There’s no better way for you to let your kid express their creativity than with painting. You can let their imagination go wild as they paint whatever they like or structure it so that you make them copy a certain character or scene.
Let them experiment with the many different media, styles, and colors as they paint their next masterpiece.
Building a Fort and Indoor Camping
This is the perfect stay-at-home play that excites your kids’ imagination.
Let them put their inventiveness to the test as they find the perfect spot in the house and get creative with the items available to them be it the pillows, blankets, and sheets. Take it a notch higher with indoor camping and hone their sense of adventure in a safe environment.
Baking
Cooking is always an exciting activity for kids so get them to bake their favorite dessert together whether it be cookies or a cake. You can make it more enticing by adding food coloring to the mix and making the food look out-of-this-world. Young children may need your assistance and active supervision for this activity.
Performance Acts
Put their talents and creativity to the test through performance acts. This can be a talent show, magic act, or puppet show. You can let the kids take turns on who gets to be the director or who calls the shots while the others put on a performance.
Science Experiments
This is the perfect mixture of learning and entertainment. There are a dozen child-friendly experiments you can do with ingredients you can find at home such as lava lamps, bottle xylophones, invisible ink, and more.
Nature Walk
If you’re feeling the outdoors, you can take the kids out for a nature walk and collect things that they see outdoors such as pebbles and compile them in a collage when you get back home. This would also help them get acquainted and enjoy the natural wonders of the outdoors.
Bug Hunt
Bring a magnifying glass so that the kids can better inspect the different worms and insects that you see outdoors. Encourage the kids to list or draw the different bugs that they see.
Chalk Art
Whether on the sidewalk or the driveway, let them bring their imagination to life with the use of multi-colored chalk. They can draw their favorite characters or draw a raceway for your kids to drive with ride-on toys.
Riding bikes or scooters
Learning to ride a bike is perfect for older kids looking for outdoor activities. Carve out the path that they should take around the block or at the driveway until they are able to complete the circuit.
Obstacle Course
You don’t need a playground to do this at home. Use the different objects you own such as hula-hoops, jump ropes, and chalk to draw on the pavement to carve out your obstacle course and put your kids to the test.
Tips for Playdates
A good playdate needs proper planning so keep these tips in mind to have a very memorable playdate for your kid.
Setting the time
It is good to set the start and end times so the other parents know when to bring and pick up their kids. If the kids are below the age of 4, you may want to invite the parents for the duration of the playdate.
Preparing your home
If you are hosting the playdate inside your home, it is good to tidy your place and put away the games that you would not be playing or the ones that your child does not like to share with others.
Children can get hungry during play so it’s best to prepare healthy snacks for when they get hungry. To be safe, it is best to consult the other parents if any of the kids have food allergies.
Backup activities
It is always possible that other kids can get bored with your planned activity, so it doesn’t hurt to have other backup activities just in case.
Adult supervision
Remain within earshot should they need adult supervision, but it is important to give them that space to socialize independently.
There are many great benefits your kid can get from playdates. While it can be uncomfortable for them to be in an unfamiliar social situation, it is good to let them explore out of their comfort zone as it is part of their development.
Discover more ways to engage with your kids and check out the Rayito de Sol Blog
