Right around the ages of 3 & 4, children begin to make friends and build relationships with their peers and fellow preschoolers. Plenty of studies have shown that friendship is important during these early years, since it is when young children learn about the ‘give and take’ of relationships among fellow playmates. When a preschooler can share their experiences and feelings by interacting with peers, they will learn how to meet the social needs of others as well as their own social needs.
While many toddlers participate in “parallel play” where they play alongside side of peers instead of with them, 3-year olds start to develop “interaction play.” This is when they start to play more with others, interacting and playing cooperatively opposed to doing their own thing next their classmates. It is how children begin to form friendships. It spurs the development of learning how to take turns, share toys with others, and include other classmates in play equally, all while gaining an understanding of how others feel and what they may want. These are the first steps in developing friendships.
Friendship Skills that Children Learn in the Proper Setting
- Communication – How to listen and speak to others nicely
- Patience – How to take turns and share with peers, even if that means waiting
- Consideration – How to be mindful of the people around them & helpful to those in need
- Empathy – How to respond to others’ feelings and act with understanding
- Emotional Control – How to properly handle feelings like impatience, jealousy, and anger
It’s important for parents and educators to provide opportunities for children to experience all aspects of friendship because it can be extremely beneficial to overall learning and development. Provide encouragement, model reciprocity and empathy towards others, show your children how to include others in play equally, have play dates, and constantly talk with & listen to your child. Classroom activities are a great way to foster friendships and cooperation among peers. Enroll your child into a well-established preschool program that will encourage children to play cooperatively and empathize with peers wants & needs. Contact our Avalon Park early education centers for more info.
Non-Toy Gift Ideas for Preschoolers
Whether you are looking for a birthday present for your young child or a collective gift for a special occasion that the entire family can enjoy, we are here to discuss some awesome non-toy gift ideas!
In recent years, the idea of “experience” gifts has become more popular to parents. Movie tickets, museum trips, art classes and the like are a great way to give your children fun, educational experiences without adding more “stuff” to your house that inevitably gets tossed or donated. Check out our preschool teachers’ favorite non-toy gift ideas:
- Museum / Zoo Memberships – This is a gift the family can use year-round, and it acts as a boredom-buster on a rainy day! If you don’t have a museum or zoo in your area, try gifting a membership or tickets to a nature center, an indoor gym, a trampoline park, or even a bouncy house center.
- A Trip – Whether it’s a one-day trip to a local big city to see the “sites” or a week-long trip to Disney, you will be gifting your children and experience that can bring life-long memories! Parents can plan a day trip to local attraction and act like tourists by doing little scavenger hunts to find the coolest photo spots or shops nearby. Or, plan a summer family vacation where each child gets to pick an activity for everyone to participate in like mini golf or arcade games.
- Movie Tickets – Buy gift certificates to a local movie theater and let your children pick a movie that they want to see. Include a coupon for some “snacks” and drinks and you have few hours of fun for the whole family.
- Classes or Lessons – Do you want to encourage development in an activity or interest your child loves? Buy them classes or lessons that supports their passions. Horseback riding lessons, music lessons, art classes, Lego building classes, STEM camps, gym/tumbling lessons, and Mommy & Me cooking classes are just a few ideas.
- Design Your Day – Let your child design a day that they’ll love. Maybe they want to have pancakes for breakfast and then spend some time at their favorite park, followed up by their favorite movie before bed. It doesn’t have to have a huge budget or even consist of going anywhere if you want to have it be more of a “yes” day where you enthrall them by playing whatever they want to play all day long. Planning is just as much fun as the “doing” and can create a lot of excitement for your preschooler.
If you want to give your kids a gift that will last a lifetime, enroll them in one of our early education programs so they can get a jump start on an amazing academic experience. OR, sign them up for our Summer Camp when the time comes around. Call our Avalon Park center for more information!