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2016 | LAPPSET PLAY eng

Everywhere in the world children play if given the chance. According to international studies, play supports children’s comprehensive development; their social, emotional, cognitive and physical well-being. Play helps children relax and reduces their stress levels. Play strengthens children’s self-esteem. When children play, they move in a natural way, which boosts their physical fitness and develops their motor skills, constituting the foundations for a physically active way of life. Basically, children do not play to learn, but they learn while they play. When playing, children practice skills they need later in life. Even though learning is not the ultimate goal of play, play still supports learning, enhances the ability to concentrate and nourishes creativity. Lappset has been a forerunner in the development of playful learning environments. In the multidisciplinary Let’s Play project, we have collaborated with the Faculty of Education of the University of Lapland, the Lapland University of Applied Sciences and IT professionals to create a basis for learning environments that combine digital technology and play. As a result of research conducted within the project, teaching methods based on play and playful elements are increasingly often included in educational curricula at schools. Play has also become a part of everyday teaching. The play and sports areas in the playgrounds of day care centres and schools activate children to move during breaks, which, for its part, enhances their ability to learn. The meaning of play is understood differently in different cultures, even though children’s play is quite similar around the world. Naturally, different countries have their own customs and traditions. In certain cultures, the emphasis is on practicing cognitive skills from a very young age, whereas in others free play is considered to lay the foundations for life; learning, going to school and developing towards adulthood. Therefore, every child should have the right to play freely and safely both indoors and outdoors. Above all, play should be fun, cheerful, spontaneous and imaginative, and it should give children positive emotional and communal experiences! That is why we pay increasing attention to product design in accordance with the principle of Inclusive Design, so that all children can play. Our mission at Lappset is to create products and combine them into solutions that ensure that children of different ages all over the world can play in safe playgrounds designed for their particular age and phase of development. Let us inspire and encourage all children to move and join the play! PHYSICAL SOCIAL COGNITIVE EMOTIONAL The language of play is universal 6


2016 | LAPPSET PLAY eng
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