My Purpose of the Service Learning Project

The Ronald McDonald House is a temporary residence that provides support for critically ill or seriously injured children and their families. The purpose of the service learning project was to collect three toys and explain the development of the items collected. Each item was selectively handpicked by my daughter and I. I traveled to the store with my 9-year-old daughter and we picked out items that we thought would benefit little girls and boys between the ages of 0-12 that would bring them joy and comfort during the holiday season.

We thought about the little girls who see themselves as princesses and shows a developed sense of self-assuredness and confidence in their looks. We surveyed the isles of the store and looked at what most children gravitated to and selected the items accordingly. I collected stuffed animals, puzzles, and a board game. With this experience, it will enhance my social and cognitive development when working in patient care.

Infant and toddlers love to touch and feel the surfaces of stuffed toys, feeling their soft fur and hard eyes. I chose stuffed animals because it can provide the development sensory skills and encourage social and emotional growth. According to Erikson trust versus mistrust, “infants learn whether or not the world can be trusted to satisfy basic needs” through nourishment, warmth, and physical contact (Berger, 2005, p.193). They begin to perceive the different colors, sizes, and textures of things around them. As the infant gets older, they’ll start reaching for and grabbing the animals as they play with them. The stuffed animal allows the child to grasp something when they are feeling scared, happy or sad. Children often express emotions and thoughts while playing with the object that they might not be able to communicate using words. Stuffed animals can help infants and toddlers cope with separation anxiety. When my child was about two years old, I would use the stuffed animals to help her learn to be independent and not be afraid of being alone for a while. Using stuffed toys to teach the child how to speak, how to get along with others and develop their sense of compassion and care for others. This will show the child that he or she is loved and develop trust.

When a child is playing with a puzzle, we can expect four basic skills to be built. Physical skills allow the child to hold puzzle pieces and sort them together. Social skill develops conversations that asks query on how to put the puzzle together effectively. Emotional skills allow the child to develop an emotional sense of how to combat being overwhelmed. Cognitive skills help solve problems of the puzzle. Learning is rapid. Piaget called middle childhood “the time for concrete operational thought” which characterized new logical abilities (Berger, 2005, p.319). He acknowledged that children advance step by step (Berger, 2005, p.320). Playing with puzzles requires the child to grasp pieces of different shapes and sizes and manipulate them to fit in the appropriate slot. Through this task children develop muscle movement and skillfulness of their fine motor skills. They learn patience and slowly work through the puzzle before reaching the end. Children work cooperatively to complete a puzzle they engage in conversation. Berger describes school-age children as “great learners, using logic, developing strategies, and accumulating knowledge” (p.331). They develop a strategy to solve the puzzle, and help each other solve problems as they occur. Cognitive learning is characterized by organizing ideas and utilizing knowledge through evaluation. When a child play with puzzles, they learn how to strategize and recognize how pieces fit together to complete the picture. Playing with puzzles uses critical thinking skills to solve problems. Choosing the puzzle as an item has it developmental benefits which helps the child to better understand and work together in the world around them.

Most adolescents want to be around friends having fun and enjoy spending time together. This bolsters their self-esteem. Board games build learning opportunities. The adolescent’s competitiveness urges new skills and concepts. Board games help people to interact, socialize and have fun. One of the great aspects of playing board games is that we learn on multiple levels. This is beneficial to adolescents who learn key skills such as social skills and how to behave, critical thinking and the ability to focus. As a young adult, I remember when my family and I would play Monopoly. I was able to read directions and provide priceless memories through laughter and fun. The child gains a sense of responsibility by learning how to pay debts and build wealth. Piaget formed the cognitive theory by explaining how the way children think changes with time and experience which can affect developmental behavior (Berger, 2005, p.43). Playing this game teaches ethics and values, academic skills, and the importance of playing by the rules.

Each family can be as festive as need be for the holidays. It’s not about the money or expense of the gift, it is about the games and items that are being given that can assist on building on family time, bonding, and building interpersonal relationships. This activity will create priceless memories for the families and provide comfort and peace during their stay. Being able to give to families during difficult occasion shows the families that someone cares and is thinking of them. The families or individuals don’t have to be alone and don’t have to be miserable during the season. The stuffed animals, puzzles, and board game allows a child to dream and express their inner dreams by conveying the message anything is possible if you put your mind to it. The children feel sense of security, love, and respect that someone is thinking of them, bringing about peace, comfort and satisfaction of the mind.

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