07/20/2024
Children love to do things over and over again, and they get so much value out of repetition!
Adults often crave novelty in entertainment -- wanting to watch new movies, read new books, play new games, etc. (although many adults also enjoy repetition, to a certain degree!)
Conversely, children often crave familiarity in play. (Think of a child who's just learned to tell a joke, so they tell the same joke 30,000 times, expecting you to laugh just as hard every time.)
It helps their brains learn how to figure out what's going to come next. It helps lay the foundations for the ability to explore novelty without just feeling like it's sheer chaos! Adults who enjoy novelty often can get more out of it because, at the end of the day, they can know exactly what they're going to go home to, and choose what they're going to eat, and how and when and where they're going to go to bed, and what they'll do the next day...they have loads of years of practicing familiarity to build off of. Kids need time to build up that expectation of familiarity and to learn through repetition first!
[Image description:
An image by Seed and Sew that's titled, "Why do children love to repeat songs, games, books, and other activities?"
It shows a cartoon image of a child jumping rope and says "Your child may want to repeat activities because...
Find comfort in familiarity
Are working to learn a skill
Feel safe and in control when things are predictable
Have fun anticipating what comes next
Crave the structure of routine
Feel proud when they master it"
End description.]
