The importance of play in the development of a children of early and preschool age

Dječja igra je bitna aktivnost u djetetovom rastu i razvoju. Prisutna je od najranijeg djetinjstva. Kako dijete raste, igre postaju sve složenije. Kroz igru dijete istražuje i upoznaje sebe i svoju okolinu. Igra pomaže u razvoju djetetovih naslijeđenih potencijala. Tijekom igre razvijaju se jezična, motorička, socijalna i umjetnička iskustva. Igra utječe na razvoj i usložnjavanje živčanog sustava i svih pozitivnih osobina karakterističnih za ljudsko biće. Tijekom odrastanja važni su modeli uz koje igra postaje složenija i podiže se na višu razinu. Odrasle osobe iz djetetovog okruženja u tom procesu imaju važnu ulogu. U najranijem periodu života to su roditelji, braća, sestre i bliža obitelj. Kad dijete počne pohađati odgojno - obrazovnu ustanovu, primjerice vrtić, važnu ulogu u igri i djetetovom odrastanju pored roditelja imaju odgojitelji. Oni uvode igru u svakodnevni program, promatraju, vode, usmjeravaju i omogućavaju realizaciju igre. Poznavanjem djetetovih sklonosti i potencijala prilagođavaju igru djetetu. Odgojitelji kao stručno osoblje trebali bi pomoći roditeljima usmjeravati i poticati dijete na igru kako bi uspješno razvilo svoje sposobnosti. Danas odgojitelji imaju brojne mogućnosti kroz koje mogu promovirati važnost igre kao što su kvalitetna i suvremena literatura te razne radionice. Roditelji i odgojitelji trebaju izgraditi partnerski odnos pun povjerenja u ostvarivanju zajedničkog cilja, a to je dobrobit djeteta.Children's play is an essential activity in a child's growth and development. It has been present since early childhood. As the child grows, the games become ever more complex. Through play the child explores and gets to know himself and his environment. The play helps to develop the child's inherited potentials. Language, motor, social and artistic experiences develop during the play. It affects the development and complexity of the nervous system and all the positive traits characteristic of a human being. Models with which the play becomes more complicated and raised to a higher level are important during growing up. Adults from the child's environment play an important role in this process. In the earliest period of life, these are parents, siblings, and close family. When the child starts attending an educational institution, such as a kindergarten, teachers play an important role in the play and the child's growth, in addition to their parents. They introduce the play into the daily program, observe, guide, direct and enable the realization of the play. By knowing the child's preferences and potential, they adapt the play to the individual child. Educators as professional staff should help parents to guide and encourage children to play, so that the child will successfully develop his abilities through such upbringing. Today, educators have numerous opportunities through which they can promote the importance of play, such as high-quality and contemporary literature, various workshops. Parents and educators should build a partnership full of trust in achieving a common goal, which is the well-being of the child