Physical Development- during play children develop critical gross (physical mobility and muscle control) and fine motor skills (eye-hand coordination). Play helps to individually improve agility, balance, flexibility and overall strength.

Cognitive Development- play provides beneficial input for a child's brain; it helps lead to discovery, verbal judgment and reasoning as well as the development of manipulative skills, creativity and thought processes.

Emotional Development- research continues to show that play is essential to healthy emotional development. Benefits of play include a greater sense of happiness, feelings of power over the environment, emotional awareness and increased sensitivity to others.

Cultural Development- play is vital in helping children learn social and cultural rules of interaction, and develop appropriate cooperation skills. These social life skills are developed through play and give children a solid foundation to build upon as they mature.