The Importance of Play
For children, play is naturally enjoyable. And
since it is their active engagement in things that interest them, play
should be child-led, or at least child-inspired, for it to remain
relevant and meaningful to them. Children at play are happily lost in
themselves; they are in their own realm of wonder, exploration, and
adventure, pulling parents in at times with a frequent “Let’s play,
mom!” as an open invitation into that world.
As early as infancy, children immerse themselves in play activities
with the purpose of making sense of the world around them. Play gives
children the opportunity to learn and experience things themselves,
which is vital for their development. Although peek-a-boo games seem
pointless to adults, tots are awed by the surprise that awaits them as
they see the suddenly emerging faces of people they love.
(Stages of Play)
During toddlerhood, children experience a motor-growth spurt that
equips them to solitarily fiddle with anything they can get their hands
on – be it a construction toy or the box from where it came.
Toddlers also love breaking into song, wiggling and jiggling to tunes, and imitating finger plays they are commonly exposed to.
Preschoolers begin extending their play to involve others, whether
they bring others in at any stage of their game or they plan their game
and its players’ way ahead. Their physical and motor skills allow them
to widen their lay arena, from dramatic play to table games to outdoor
pursuits.
School-age children start appreciating organized play – such as
innovated songs and rhymes, games with rules, relays and other physical
activities, sports and projects that they can accomplish over a certain
time frame.
Play Perks:
Why the big fuss about playing? Play benefits the child in ways that might be a tad difficult for adults to imagine.
1. Play brings pure and utter joy.
A toddler who jumps into an empty box and runs around the house
‘driving a car’ shows the sheer happiness that play brings him or her.
When children are asked what they did in school and they answer ‘play,’
it is a clear sign that these kids remember a feeling of genuine joy
that is captured in this four-letter word.
2. Play fosters socio-emotional learning.
What does a ten-month-old baby who shrieks at the sight of her
stuffed toy have in common with a ten-year-old boy who plays basketball
with his friends? They both deal with their confidence as they choose
to embark on their play activities. At the same time, they are
displaying their independence in the decisions that they make. These
two children are also internalizing social rules in their respective
play situations: the baby waits patiently for her stuffed toy to
appear, while the school-age child has to contend with an impending
loss in a ball game.
3. Play hones physical and motor development.
Play often involves the use of the senses, the body, and the
extremities. When children play, they exercise their bodies for
physical strength, fluidity of movement, balance and coordination.
Perceptual-motor ability, or the capacity to coordinate what you
perceive with how you move, is an essential skill that preschoolers
need to develop. A three-year-old who is engrossed in digging,
scooping, and pouring sand into a container must match his or her
perception of the space in front of him or her with actual hand
movements, so that he or she can successfully fulfill the motor
activity.
4. Play facilitates cognitive learning.
Play is vital to the intellectual development of a child. We live
in a symbolic world in which people need to decode words, actions, and
numbers.
For young children, symbols do not naturally mean anything because
they are just arbitrary representations of actual objects. The role of
play is for the child to understand better cognitive concepts in ways
that are enjoyable, real, concrete, and meaningful to them. For
instance, through play, a child is able to comprehend that the equation
3 + 2 = 5 means ‘putting together’ his toy cars by lining them up in
his makeshift parking lot. When he combines 2 triangles to make a
square during block play, or writes down his score is a bowling game,
the child is displaying what he knows about shapes and numbers.
Through play, the child is constructing his or her worldview by constantly working and reworking his understanding of concepts.
5. Play enhances language development.
Toddlers who are still grappling with words need to be immersed in
oral language so they can imitate what they hear. They benefit from
songs and rhymes that provide the basis for understanding how language
works.
When these tots are playing with toys, adults model to them how
language is used to label objects or describe an event. At play,
preschoolers use language to interact, communicate ideas, and likewise
learn from dialogues with more mature members of society.
6. Play encourages creativity.
Barney the dinosaur was right about using imagination to make
things happen. A lump of Play-Doh suddenly turns into spaghetti with
meat sauce and cheese; a small towel transforms into a cape that
completes a superhero’s wardrobe; and a tin can serves as a drum that
accompanies an aspiring rock artist. Play opens an entire avenue for
children to express themselves, show what they know and how they feel,
and to create their own masterpieces.
7. Play provides bonding opportunities.
Play is an important factor in child development. It provides for
interaction, experimentation, and moral development. Here are some ways
by which parents can encourage and support their children’s playtime.
- Let your child be the player-leader. Let children initiate their
activity, set their own theme, choose the parameters where the play
will take place. Play becomes a venue for children to express their
feelings and be in control.
- Help them help themselves. When your 5-year-old asks for help,
say, figuring out how to piece a puzzle together, stop yourself from
coming to her rescue and first ask your child questions that allow him
or her to help himself or herself. Say, “Where do you think this piece
should go?” Afterward, commend his or her success.
- Play attention. Once you make a commitment to play with your
child, watch for the following signals: Does he or she want you to
actively play a part in the activity? Does he or she need
encouragement? Is he or she tired or hungry? Does he or she need to
take a break?
- Have a play plan. If you seem to have little time for playing
with your child, consider using self-care chores to have fun with him
or her. Also, get support from other people in your household, like
older siblings, household help, or the child’s grandparents, so that
they understand why play is important and how they should continue to
encourage it.
