How Do Holidays Affect Children’s Development?
How do vacations affect children’s development? Do they influence positively or negatively? Contrary to popular belief, vacations are not a ‘learning suspension’ far from it.
On the contrary, they provide another way of stimulating children so that they can absorb future school knowledge. They are also an opportunity to put into practice what they already know. So, vacations are not an interference or a whim, they are necessary and timely.
What the experts say
Specialists in early childhood and youth education have determined a series of benefits linked to vacations that enhance learning in its many facets, and even help reinforce family emotional ties. There are many benefits to a vacation and we will review some of the most important below.
The fact of taking vacations, and in general, enjoying periods of rest, give both children and adults the opportunity to free themselves from the stress accumulated by the fulfillment of their obligations. And although our children will spend a few weeks away from books and homework, the stimuli they will receive during the holidays will favor their readiness to learn when they return to school.
How do vacations affect children’s development?
According to cognitive learning specialists, there are five specific areas that benefit during periods of rest, leisure and recreation, and they are the following:
- IQ.
- The ability to concentrate.
- Consolidation of character.
- The ability to free yourself from stress.
- The ability to bond with people and places.
This occurs because children in the free time they have on vacation to play, release neurochemicals that stimulate them to seek emotion through experimentation and contact with the environment, which is later translated as a better development of the neurons and brain connections.
Below we will break down some of the experiences that your child lives during the holidays and to what cognitive link they are related in particular. You will find that after many seemingly recreational and simple activities, there are several underlying benefits that are worth promoting.
Experiences and cognitive bond
- Remember places visited = Memory.
- Feelings of closeness = Creation of emotional ties.
- Games in open spaces = Ability to concentrate.
- Laughter and positive emotions = Ability to free yourself from stress.
- Waiting and planning the trip helps fight attention deficit and hyperactivity = Ability to concentrate.
- Frontal lobe stimulus = IQ.
- Interaction with other children = Social development.
Now, in order for these stimuli to be released and to activate the cognitive abilities in your child, during the holidays, it is necessary that recreational activities are encouraged to keep them motivated.
Activities that stimulate children’s development
Outdoor games are great for stimulating children. Especially the hiding place, the leads and the like. Also, perform plays or dances with their siblings, cousins or friends; Playing board games or video game competitions is very positive for them, as well as fun, of course.
Nature walks and family visits to zoos are also very positive stimulants for their development, especially at an early age. On the other hand, magic shows, concerts, plays and visits to museums for children are a good way to entertain them and ‘awaken’ their interest in the world around their senses.
Of course, sports activities are also very beneficial. Such as: swimming, soccer, tennis or whatever catches your child’s attention. Of course, it is not only about children practicing these activities, but also that they can share them with family or friends.
Let’s remember that vacations are the perfect time to reinforce affection and cultivate their self-esteem. It is important that they feel important and that they are participants in the unity that the family symbolizes, as this will help them to have healthy interactions at school.
