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14 Washington FAMILY MARCH 2021
“Jumping and hopping allow
t hem to practice large motor
coordination skills.”
Dr. Joan Carney, assistant vice president of clinical programs,
Kennedy Krieger Institute
LEARNING ABOUT AND EXPLORING THE
NATURAL WORLD AROUND US
Splashing in puddles is child’s play, and play is how children learn
about the world around them.

Playtime is a crucial part of a child’s development. Some of
toddlers’ favorite activities — which may seem messy at times to
parents — offer more than meets the eye. While playing in puddles
may not be particularly appealing to adults, the nature of the
activity makes it excellent for nurturing a child’s developing mind.

“Kids can learn so many things from this,” says Dr. Joan Carney,
assistant vice president of clinical programs at Kennedy Krieger
Institute. “They’re going to get the sensory context of cold or wet.

If they’re jumping in a puddle, they get to use a lot of large body
coordination. Jumping and hopping allow them to practice large motor
coordination skills.”
As a child’s motor skills develop between ages 1 and 2, playing
in puddles turns into more of a lesson in consequences: jump in
a puddle, and you’ll make a splash. When you splash in a puddle,
you’ll get wet. This type of cause-and-effect experiment can
translate to more situations a child encounters in life.

At age 4, children may experiment with principles of engineering—
digging ditches in the mud and watching them pool with water. By age
7, they may start incorporating the elements of scientific discovery by
exploring puddle ecosystems and the living organisms they support.

UNDERSTANDING THE VALUE OF HAVING
UNSTRUCTURED CHILD’S PLAY
Playing in puddles also fills an important need for children — the
need for unstructured, individualized activities.

While it’s great for parents to get involved with their children’s
play — and little ones definitely require quality time with mom and
dad — kids also need the freedom to play on their own. Puddles
naturally lend themselves to this type of play.

There are no rules to the game of splashing in puddles,
Carney says. “There is no turn-taking; there is no structure.

They are making their own decisions about doing things that are
unstructured. Do they like it and want to keep doing it? Do they not
like it, abandon it and try something else? The reason it’s important
is that it gives children confidence and a sense of self.”
“Unstructured play also allows children to learn how to share,
resolve conflicts, develop communication skills and explore their
interests in a meaningful and natural way,” says Dr. Mutiat Tolu
Onigbanjo, who serves as medical director for UM Pediatrics at
University of Maryland Medical Center, Midtown Campus. “It gets
them to use their imagination skills, which help promote healthy
brain development.”