I once watched two children play with Lego for hours on end. There's something about extended, sustained play that reaches a special depth and quality that is not otherwise attainable. We usually pull children out of their play before they are ready to disengage. That's why there's often crying when kids are called to leave the park or they resist the end of a playdate. it's kind of like waking a child who is deep in REM sleep in the middle of the night.
It's important to make time for extended play periods where children can slide into a state of "REM play" and reap the significant health benefits.
In preschool, that means designing the schedule with extended periods of time set aside for open-ended play opportunities, with minimal transitions and interruptions.
It means that children are encouraged to invest long-term in their play. For example, cardboard boxes might evolve into an elaborate castle that takes weeks of work to complete, and then stay up for many more weeks as the children enjoy dramatic play time in their pretend palatial masterpiece.
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