Learning can and should be fun! Studies have shown that play-based learning is one of the top benefits of summer camp for children. There are many play-based elements that we weave throughout the day at Kidizens Summer Camps! Children are naturally motivated to play and we use that drive to instill lifelong skills! There are interactive quizzes, epic adventures, and LEGO competitions as the campers engage with the world around them through play!
Does playing with LEGOs benefit early childhood development? We think so! At Kidizens, we believe that the magic of LEGO is a unique tool that can be utilized to aid in the social-emotional development of our summer campers. The LEGO blocks are very familiar tools for our Young Mayors that are used in interesting and creative ways that reinforce the concepts being internalized at camp. We have found that there is a profound personal connection that the summer campers have with their LEGO creations, having built their entire city from the ground up themselves!
Here are 5 important skills that children learn from LEGO:
1) Fine Motor Skill Development. Working with LEGO pieces requires coordination and precision! This is especially important for our younger campers, but is a valuable skill for LEGO builders of all ages!
2) Teamwork and Cooperation. No LEGO city can be built alone! The Young Mayors work together with the Co-Mayors to construct their town. They need to compromise, share, and work together in order to build the best city possible!
3) Problem Solving and Perseverance. Sometimes things don’t go according to plan! Maybe the tall skyscraper falls down and it needs to be rebuilt. Or maybe the LEGO pieces just aren’t quite fitting together to form the project that a summer camper envisioned in their mind. Problem solving, thinking outside the box, and the resilience required to push past setbacks is an important part of the LEGO building process.
4) Creative Thinking. The world of LEGO is limitless! The only limit is a child’s imagination. Kidizens summer campers tinker, create, and imagine endless possibilities. One of the many great things about LEGO is that you can make pretty anything if you are creative enough!
5) Self-Confidence. Completing a building project provides an immense sense of accomplishment! Turning a random pile of LEGO bricks into a functioning grocery store or power plant is a magical transformation that inspires kids to take on challenges in the real world. By reaching their LEGO building goals, the Young Mayors set themselves up to reach other important milestones as well!
At Kidizens, play-based learning is at the heart of everything that we do! Play greatly improves the social and emotional well-being of children. Through play, the Young Mayors at our summer camps learn more about the world and themselves. They are the future leaders, city planners, and architects of tomorrow!
