A quick search on the Internet about the benefits of playing for kids at early ages will list thousands of websites in the result. Below are some excerpts that I found informative and interesting for your reference. Playing is good, but not all games or activities are the same. The most important thing (for parents) is how to choose the proper materials, and I hope my website, with time, will give you that.
Learning through Play – Wikipedia
Learning through play is a term used in education and psychology to describe how a child can learn to make sense of the world around them. Through play children can develop social and cognitive skills, mature emotionally, and gain the self-confidence required to engage in new experiences and environments.
Play = Learn – University of Delaware
Learning by Playing – KidsHealth.org
It might look like just child’s play, but toddlers are hard at work learning important physical skills as they gain muscle control, balance, and coordination. Each new skill lets them progress to the next one, building on a foundation that leads to more complicated physical tasks, such as jumping rope, kicking a ball on the run, or turning a cartwheel.
Take advantage of your toddler’s natural desire to keep moving. Even at this early age, kids establish patterns of activity that carry through the rest of childhood. So an active toddler is likely to remain active later.