Children born during the outbreak of COVID-19 have much lower verbal, psychomotor, and general cognitive capabilities than children born before the outbreak of COVID-19, and these abilities have worsened as the pandemic continues to spread. Furthermore, children from socioeconomically disadvantaged homes have been impacted the most. Children from low-income families are more likely to be exposed to adversity, such as inadequate nutrition or seeing acts of violence, than their more privileged peers. They have fewer resources at their disposal to deal with these challenges. On average, children from low-income families have a higher incidence of neurodevelopmental disorders and emotional difficulties and are poorer in school. The surroundings that children learn, mature and play in naturally shape them.
Due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, precautionary strategies to reduce the virus include stay-at-home rules, shuttered childcare centers, and playgrounds, and restricted child schooling (Deoni, 2022). These new rules restricted interactions in social gatherings for children. A child’s cognitive development tends to depend on social activities that children mostly engage in. Changes to a kid’s living environment may also affect their cognitive development since children take time to respond to new places. For instance, even though it is connected to stress, a decrease in income due to a layoff or job loss may make it more difficult to purchase a well-balanced diet food stuff, hence malnutrition. Closed daycare facilities, public parks, and meeting places may reduce children’s opportunities for exploratory play, peer interaction, and exposure to new environments (Rao & Fisher, 2021). Since children’s interaction with others helps them learn new skills. Pregnant women afraid to go to maternity checkups due to fear of the pandemic reported higher maternal stress, anxiety, and depression, which could impact the fetus’s development. In addition to the potential impact on the developing fetus, there is also a chance that children who are exposed to the stresses and difficulties of the outside world will experience impaired cognitive development.
Playing encourages the growth of a variety of cognitive abilities. Children who play and have the opportunity to completely involve themselves in their activities grow more intelligent and sophisticated. When children discover the answers to their inquiries, like “Does this piece go here?” they learn how to solve issues (Penfield Building Blocks, 2020). Both attention span and memory abilities are improved when children have the chance to play for prolonged periods in a way that is significant to them and relevant to their everyday lives. Children can learn about rhythms, cadence, and the availability of various sounds by singing, reciting, and playing with musical instruments. They are taught the fundamentals of antithesis, including loud/soft and fast/slow. They get better listening abilities while also studying cause and effect, such as “When I beat the drum hard, it makes a loud sound” (Rao & Fisher, 2021). Children are naturally curious and absorb information easily via play. They constantly think, invent, experiment, and learn when they play. Interacting with the child is extremely beneficial for their cognitive development.
Playing together strengthens personal friendship and conveys a straightforward but vital message about relationships. This message is essential for teaching your child about their identity and position in the world. Furthermore, it gives the child the courage to keep discovering and learning about the environment. Additionally, children can learn organization, sequencing, and storytelling skills through dramatic play. Dramatic play, also known as imaginative play, is beneficial to children’s social-emotional growth and language as well as cognitive development because it allows children to practice crucial skills with their counterparts. According to Early Childhood News, when children participate in dramatic play together, it requires them to cooperate and negotiate their respective roles.
References
Deoni, S. (2022). Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic environment on early child brain and cognitive development. Biological Psychiatry, 91(9), S26. Web.
Penfield Building Blocks. (2020). Promoting cognitive development through play. Web.
Rao, N., & Fisher, P. A. (2021). The impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on child and adolescent development around the world. Child Development, 92(5). Web.