Introduction
The paper’s primary objective is to outline the progressive events and projects we have worked on for age-appropriate child groups. This project emphasizes three distinct types of activities that promote physical, cognitive, and psychosocial growth, all of which can be incorporated into the various rooms of a community development center. To demonstrate how these activities can influence a child’s growth, each activity that contributes to their development is examined in terms of its specific components and the skills it helps develop. The community can better support children’s learning when they continually enhance their psychosocial skills and become aware of how their thoughts shape their perception of the world around them.
Infant Room
Physical Development Activity
This room focuses on infants between the ages of eight and twelve months. The first few months of an infant’s development are critical to their brain and body progression. Children who are active at a younger age are more likely to be proactive as adults. They begin to develop abilities that utilize their sensory skills, which is essential for developing those qualities (Firoozalizadeh et al., 2020). In the infant room, the activity introduced to the infant is putting things in and out of boxes or containers. The ability of a young child to grasp objects and reach for them is crucial to their motor development.
Teaching infants to place objects in a box or a container allows them to practice critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2022) explains that because infants of this period are just starting to grasp where items go when they can no longer see them, this is also an intriguing cognitive activity. This activity tackles various developmental skills that will assist infants as they progress. Additionally, topics such as psychological and social development, behavioral skills, and language and verbal skills are covered in this room.
Cognitive Development Activity
This activity is designed for children aged six months to one year. Babies start to understand how the various parts of a whole work together. They begin to understand how things can have a relationship with other things.
“Put Back in the Bucket” is addressed in this activity. The best way to demonstrate this ability to a child is to give them manageable blocks to hold and then show them how to drop them into a container, such as a bucket (Orr, 2022). Giving the child the opportunity to put a block in the bucket demonstrates that they have a basic comprehension of how things fit together. The child’s ability to sit independently in a sitting position is one of the developmental milestones identified during this activity.
Another activity is the ability to grasp and manipulate objects. The first year of a child’s life is a crucial stage in their development because, during this time, they acquire knowledge to focus their attention, reach out, observe, and understand the things in their environment.
Psychosocial Development Activity
A flat mirror or a mirror mounted on the wall is used for this particular activity. The age range of six months to one year is the focus of this activity. This is an excellent opportunity for the room staff and the infants to assist in their psychosocial development while looking in the mirror.
It is a good idea for the room staff to respond to the infant’s mumbling and interact vocally with the infant while they gaze at a mirror, especially if the infant is in front of the mirror (Ariani et al., 2021). Infants require their caregivers, parents, or room staff to help them become comfortable and secure. According to Ariani et al. (2021), this exercise corresponds to stage one of Erikson’s psychosocial development stages, Basic Trust versus Mistrust. Infants develop confidence in their caregivers and a sense of self-assurance when their parents are attentive to their needs and reliable in meeting them.
Toddler Room
Physical Development Activity
Rolling the ball is an activity that is performed in the toddler room. A ball is required to participate in this particular activity. The staff member positions the toddler on the floor and sits in the opposite direction. They gradually increase the speed of the ball as it is rolled toward the baby, and eventually, they will even throw the ball back and forth. Hancock (2021) states that by the time toddlers are two years old, they have expanded their motor skills, including climbing, rolling a ball, pulling and pushing toys, and stooping without toppling over to grasp objects.
Cognitive Development Activity
This room features an example of one of the mental tasks that are the simplest to perform. The toddler in this room can participate in a Wooden shape Sorter activity. One of the most critical cognitive skills a child acquires is pattern recognition, but acknowledgment is also essential. According to Hancock (2021), toddlers use shape sorters to exercise their recognition of shapes and colors once they have fully grasped the basic concept of placing the correct pieces into their corresponding slots.
Psychosocial Development Activity
“Duck, Duck, Goose” is the activity used in this room. It is possible that when children engage in this activity, they perceive it as a means to improve their physical fitness. This is not a physical activity but focuses on participants’ psychosocial development. To play the game Duck, Duck, Goose, the toddler listens to and follows simple instructions, waits until it is their turn to run, and reacts (Hancock, 2021). This game is ideal for three-year-olds who are not accustomed to participating in activities with many other toddlers, as the rules and goals are concise and straightforwardly organized.
Early Childhood Room
Physical Development Activity
One thing to consider during the early stages of a child’s development is the need to enhance their energy level. The benefits of a child’s physical development in early childhood are crucial to their mental and physical development later in life. According to Hauck et al. (2020), children with higher levels of both physical and mental development tend to perform better academically, exhibit improved attention spans, and experience fewer behavioral issues. It would not be difficult at all to introduce this activity to the children between the ages of 3 and 6 in the early childhood room. Constructing a tower is the structured activity for this room. The items required for this activity are concise and straightforward.
Containers with lids, blocks, or any item that can be stacked are required for the classroom teacher. The teacher works alongside the student to construct a tower from their chosen material. To determine how high the child could stack the objects or containers, the child might take turns adding new ones to the tower. After completing this, the instructor and the child count the stack or build it backward. Hauck et al. (2020) argue that block play is beneficial for developing situational reasoning and kinesthetic awareness because it requires children to build with blocks, lift, and move objects, thereby strengthening their arms, hands, and fingers.
Cognitive Development Activity
Memory Match is the activity involved in this activity. The child is trained to start by turning over two cards from a set of cards placed face down on the counter. This keeps going until the child identifies two cards that are similar to each other. Although it is not a challenging game, it is enjoyable for the child to find a match and feel satisfied with their accomplishment (Visser-Bochane et al., 2020). Recognizing similarities and differences is one of the most significant achievements children of this age can attain.
Playing memory games has been shown to improve recognition and has various advantages. Memory games have also been shown to benefit other cognitive abilities, including attention, concentration, and focus (Hancock, 2021). Children can enhance their attention to detail by playing memory games, as they provide an outlet for critical thinking and improve their cognitive abilities (Visser-Bochane et al., 2020). Memory matches enhance a child’s problem-solving abilities and improve their skills in mathematics, language, and literacy. In addition, correctly matching each card boosts the child’s confidence and gives them a sense of accomplishment.
Psychosocial Development Activity
The expression “Paper Plate Emotion Mask” is the activity in this room. Paper plates, wooden craft sticks, glue, and markers are required for this activity. The primary objective is for them to recognize the following four fundamental feelings: joyful, unhappy, annoyed, and senseless (Zielinski, 2019). Following the step of cutting the paper plate in half and applying glue to the back of the wooden craft stick, the child draws one feeling on the front of the plate.
This exercise is appropriate for the second stage of Erikson’s psychosocial development, Initiative versus Guilt. According to the American Public Health Association (2022), a child’s psychosocial skills development may be the most critical aspect. A preschool measure of interpersonal interactions may be beneficial in determining whether kids are at risk for deficiencies in noncognitive skills later in life. As a result, it may help determine those children who require early intervention.
Middle/Late Childhood Room
Physical Development Activity
The time between early infantile and adolescence, specifically between the ages of 7 and 11, is referred to as middle or late childhood. The muscles of children’s bodies are very active at this point in their development. According to Duncombe and Preedy’s research (2020), by late childhood, individuals have achieved a high level of mastery in both gross and fine motor skills. The changes in the brain during this stage contribute to both the body’s physical development and the ability to reason and be flexible with ideas.
The school significantly impacts the late childhood room because it broadens the children’s sphere of influence beyond their families. Most of the time, they exercise their muscles and develop their gross motor skills by riding bicycles. Additionally, the development of finer skills occurs concurrently with an increase in eye-hand coordination (Duncombe & Preedy, 2020). Around the ages of 9 and 11, children’s frontal lobes continue to develop, and reasoning becomes increasingly significant.
Cognitive Development Activity
Between the ages of 7 and 11, children are in Piaget’s concrete operational stage of development. Children have a clearer sense when they are in the primary school and pre-adolescent stages. Because they are aware of what is happening in the outside world, their cognitive ability is less focused on themselves. They begin to avoid adults, and there is an insufficient exchange of thoughts; however, their ideas do not reflect reality. Children are incapable of abstract thought at this stage in their development.
On the other hand, the children solve real-world issues by applying logical principles such as size. Children desperately need direction and guidance from their parents at this point in their development. Because parents often overlook certain aspects when their children spend a significant amount of time in school, there will be a ready supply of caregivers who possess the necessary qualities to ensure the health and safety of children.
Psychological Development Activity
When children are in this stage of development, inattention to socio-emotional issues can result in psychological disruptions. Children between the ages of 7 and 9 have a solid foundation of knowledge regarding norms and standards. They have a comprehensive understanding of relationships and are beginning to take on responsibilities.
Additionally, between the ages of 9 and 11, children place a greater emphasis on their relationships with peers than on their parents or other adults caring for them (Firoozalizadeh et al., 2020). At this age, children rely heavily on their social circles. Personality and self-belief can be increased by having a positive connection with a caregiver, including receiving compliments and affection, and striking a healthy balance between independent living and household tasks.
Adolescent Room
Physical Development Activity
Dancing, playing football, and basketball are the activities in this room. Pre-teens and adolescents, typically aged 13 to 18, are the focus group. The pre-teen years are marked by a shift in emphasis toward the physical aspects of development.
Early in this period, a person experiences an adolescent growth spurt, lasting about three years, which causes rapid growth.The most distinguishing feature is a rapid increase in height, with approximately twenty percent of the adult height attained during this period. The immune system of a pre-teen can be boosted, stress and sleep quality can be improved, and pre-teens can get a head start on learning how to manage a healthy weight and avoid becoming overweight by participating in physical activities (Lehalle, 2020). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that children get at least sixty minutes of daily physical activity, three days a week.
Cognitive Development Activity
Board games are the activities that are most beneficial to the intellectual growth of adolescents, such as chess and checkers, which are designed to improve one’s strategic thinking. Alternatively, adolescents could play card games like UNO or Speed to improve their visual recognition. Playing other games, such as Monopoly, can also improve mathematical expertise. According to Lehalle (2020), Jenga and Operation are great games for improving coordination and considering detail. Formal operations is one of Piaget’s theory stages that can be observed in a developing child around this age.
Psychosocial Development Activity
The application of technology can be utilized in the space designated for adolescents. Make You Know Educational Video is an adolescent activity in this room.This is anything from how to make a cake to how to upload videos to YouTube. This activity aims to get adolescents to collaborate and work together in groups. Adolescents have access to the center’s computers to conduct research and its video equipment for producing instructional videos.
The development of social skills can benefit from participating in cooperative construction, which can be defined as the process of creating or constructing something together (Mitchell & Clements, 2021). This activity corresponds to stage five of Erikson’s psychosocial development stages, “Identity versus Role Confusion.” Adolescents can develop the intelligence to establish a distinctive identity when they are allowed the independence to investigate, develop, and achieve when they are allowed to do so.
Conclusion
The surrounding communities and neighborhoods will vastly benefit from having the community center as a part of their landscape. It is of the utmost importance that we direct our attention toward the growth of our children at every stage of their lives. Activities that contribute to a child’s development on multiple levels, including their physical, cognitive, social, and emotional well-being, are essential. There are many ideas on how to benefit the children and teenagers living in our community. By participating in the creation of ambitions, the community members can achieve their goals together.
References
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