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Neighbor News

Trial and Error Learning in Free Play

Dr. Clatch writes about how free play encourages learning in young children.

Interestingly, unstructured free play has numerous benefits for both children and their adult caregivers. For children, unstructured free play facilitates engagement in an environment that is not rigidly controlled by adults. By learning how to function in this environment, children are provided with unique opportunities for trial and error.

The process of trial and error serves as the basis for building neural connections in the brain essential for cognitive development over the entire scope of the child’s lifespan. In this process, understanding of the external environment is constructed by the child in a manner that is intrinsic to the specific needs and preferences of the child.

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