Activities to Help Teach Children

           I never thought about activities to help with conflicts or just to get to know the children but I learned today that activities can do both of those. Maybe that is why I love to do crafts or school things with the little children? The way I am doing it now it is letting me have one on one with them and teach them how to do things they have probably never done before. If schools saw activities more this way then maybe children would want to learn better. Especially today's children.
           I have two ways that activities that can help children and youth and why it helps them the way it does. It is something else that I really have to look into and learn about somehow.
One way is to use activities and basic needs for initial communication after or during a conflict. Why? It is often easier to talk over a game of cards (aka preschool making something) or a snack. ACTIVITIES AND FOOD TEND TO PUT PEOPLE AT EASE AND MAKE COMMUNICATION FLOW.  For adults, that makes since to, especially for me, because I have to keep doing something to calm down or I will response in a negative way. I will also think about things that are not true and then get worked up about those things. Once you are walking with a friend or playing a sport it is easy not to even think about what bothered you and just talk.
             Then it is common sense to know that activities are used to form relationships and it helps youth with their willingness to form one with someone else that they are just getting to know and that is true for all of us. You might ask why is using activities such an easy way to form relationships. When you do an activity with the child, it puts the child at ease (no tension) and it seems non-threating because you are having fun with them. Talking about having fun, you also satisfy that need to have fun. Children and youth might not be use to fun because they have been in charge or scared to do anything fun because they don't know what it will end up like so they need to be taught that it is okay in a safe place.
               The thing I love about using activities is that it is the best way, in my opinion, to provide opportunities to teach skills and to model behavior. It is also more effective when used to support and encourage, rather than as a reward or punishment. Learning all of this in a meeting as helped me realize that I am doing a lot for those children while I'm doing crafts with them and that we need to do more. It might be easier to do it a a middle school or teenage level because you can sometimes see the change right away but preschoolers needs it just as much. I know they need emotional and mental help most of the time but crafts and other activities besides just playing can help them learn a lot in every way especially we when take time to think about what kind of activity to do with them.
             I just happy that I have something to back me up now when people ask me why do you do some much with the children or spend so much on them. You learn through everything you do even crafts and sitting in circle time.