What are your memories of playing as a child? For some of us we will remember hide and seek, house, tag, and red rover red rover. Others may remember arguing about the rules in dodgeball or soccer or taking turns at jump rope, or creating imaginary worlds with our dolls or figurines, building blanket forts, putting on plays or dance recitals, or dressing-up. But what about your children? Are their opportunities for play the same as yours were? Do they have time to explore via play?
Most likely not, unfortunately, as a society we have been slowing moving away from free play and more towards academics, technology and adult-directed activities and/or athletic success. Am I saying these negatively impact children? No not at all, those activities can also play an integral role in building a child’s positive sense of self. That being said, the value of play is starting to go unrecognized and as a result, kids' free play time appears to declining.
Play is the essence of childhood and it’s the way in which children develop and grow. Play is a powerful tool and means for children and adolescents development. It’s through play that kids learn. Kids delight in games, toys, and creative play while developing skills like fine and gross motor development. They also learn to self-regulate. They learn to communicate, manage their emotions, and gain valuable sensory input. Play is powerful for kids!
Through play, kids are able to learn, grow, and master skills. It’s through a child’s daily play activities that they develop the skills needed for learning and function. Not only is play considered the primary and natural mode of communication of children, it is also the unique and central activity of childhood and adolescents, occurring at all places and all times, such as a home, at school, outside and more. Often children are unable to use verbal and/or non-verbal forms of communication to exchange information; play removes such restrictions and allows a child to flexibly communicate their feelings, issues, needs, and/or concerns and provides a space for self-initiated play to resolve such issues. Play allows children and adolescents space in which they can gain peer support and acceptance, improve new skills, practice and build self-control, as well as, realize their social competencies. Through play, kids can even use toys or other forms of communication to express and expand their feelings and emotions, and resolve problems, as well as, share their feelings and experiences with their parents.
Here are only a few benefits of play (so so many more):
Helps build imagination and creativity-during play kids stretch their imaginations, create make-believe games or get lost in imaginary worlds. These are helpful skills for navigating life and developing relationships with others and building confidence.
Play fosters healthy brain development-free play helps a child’s brain develop in positive ways. It strengthens and increases neutral connections in the brain. This area influences the way a child thinks, learns and solves problems and gains knowledge about their environment.
Play delivers emotional and behavioral benefits-like adults when overwhelmed, children want to retreat to activities that enable them to self soothe. Frequent daily play can help reduce anxiety, stress and irritability. It also helps boost joy and self-esteem. It is a way to connect children and adolescents to the things that grounds them.
Play helps children make friends and learn to get along with each other as equals- social play is a natural means of making friends and learning to treat one another fairly. Children learn to be aware of their peers needs and attempt to meet them in order to maintain the play.
Play encourages greater independence- children often have little power or say over their daily activities. In the world of play, they have the opportunity to set the rule and be the leader. During play, they can be the leaders and adults can be the ones listening and taking directions.
Most importantly, play is a source of happiness.
Although academics, athletic success and organized sports are a key part of a childs’ development and identity, let’s not forget the major role that free play has in a childs’ emotional, physical and cognitive development. It could it be beneficial to reassess the priorities ruling ones children’s lives and lead to identifying smalls changes that start and/or increase free, imaginative, kid-directed play.
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