Play Centers Are Places For Children To Grow
Play centers started as a specific educational place and they started popping up in the late 1960s. Since then, their main goal has been to help families whose children may have learning or developmental disabilities. They give these families more support and also access to a variety of toys and resources for families with lower incomes.
These play centers have evolved over time. Their goals and services have changed significantly since they started. Now most play centers are spaces that aim to facilitate the social interaction between different groups of children and promote integrated development of children through play.
Play centers and their properties
Play centers are educational spaces with a focus on play. In addition, this service is offered in a structured space with physical infrastructure, toys, games, monitors, etc. where children can play.
The most important features of a play center are the following:
- It can be a meeting place for children and young people.
- The play center offers a varied selection of toys and games that the children can use on the premises.
- There may also be a toy library so that children can borrow toys to take home.
- It is aimed at children from different social strata and environments.
The people who work here are responsible for the maintenance and care of the premises and the toys. There are also other professionals who are sometimes employed and who are responsible for taking care of the children (playmates, child and leisure educators, etc.)
Types of play centers
- They can be permanent, that is, they are probably located in buildings dedicated to this purpose.
- Play centers can also be temporary. Temporary play centers can, for example, appear at specific times of the year.
- In addition, there are play centers that move around or are mobile. They move to different places to take the game closer to children who live in remote or isolated places, such as the countryside.
In accordance with the organizational and management models, play centers can be:
- Privately owned and publicly funded.
- Publicly owned and privately financed.
- Under the auspices of associations and foundations.
And depending on the specialization, it could be:
- Hospital-based : It can be located in a hospital to care for patients who are children or adolescents.
- Specialized : Adapted for children with specific and special needs.
- School-based : Located inside a school area.
What characterizes a play center as a place to grow
The play center’s main purpose is to create a space where children can grow through social interactions and leisure activities. For this reason, the goals of a play center are as follows:
- Promote the development of psychomotor, cognitive and socio-affective skills through play and games.
- Develop children’s personality through play.
- Compensate for socio-cultural, economic or personal differences in society.
- Contribute to a balance between work and family life.
- Offer games and toys to suit children’s ages and specific needs.
- Prioritize the social and communicative exchange between children and their parents.
- Promote aspects related to the teaching of values and in relation to attitudes such as tolerance, cooperation and solidarity.
- Contribute to the development of habits such as independence, orderliness and cooperation.
It is quite clear that…
A play center is a place where it is safe to share through play. For example, children share their dreams, feelings and fantasies when they play in such spaces.
In addition, it is a place that builds knowledge, creativity and contributes to development and socialization. Therefore, we can say that play centers are a place for children to grow.
