The Importance of Play

“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.” -Mr. Rogers

Play is a child’s form of communication and is an intricate part of healthy development. In play children learn to solve problems, develop creativity, explore social relationships, and make sense of the world around them. I might argue that play has a larger role in language development, mathematics, and organizational skills than in a traditional school environment. How, you might ask, is my child learning all of this when all I see them doing is sitting in front of a pile of Legos that I will surely step on at some point today? Let’s say that Lego build falls apart for the third time, but the child returns and finds new ways to make it more structurally sound, perhaps adding a larger foundation or reinforcing the walls. They are using skills in problem solving, mathematics, and emotional regulation. When a task, such as the Lego build, does not produce the immediate results the child is searching for, it forces them to return, re-adjust, and re-imagine. They learn to become resilient, tolerate stress and regulate their emotional response. Of course, this is a process. You may first see them throw a Lego, yell, or scream but as they repeatedly return, they grow more tolerant of stress and the chances of an emotional outburst decline.

Play is a stress antidote. Stress is the body’s alert system to a perceived or real danger. Examples of stressors experienced by children can include but are not limited to loss of a loved one or pet, a natural disaster, or an injury or illness (Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University). Play can act as a tool to return a child’s system to a calm and regulated state. When a child can engage in a safe, loving, stable environment and share mutual and reciprocal relationships, their stress response system returns to a neutral state. According to the research of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP, 2018) “Play and stress are closely linked, high amounts of play are associated with low levels of cortisol.” When stress is managed, and a child engages in developmentally appropriate play with parents and peers they build executive functioning and a prosocial brain.

Play takes many forms in a child’s life, and all are necessary for healthy development. Today, children are missing opportunities to explore, take risks, create, and engage in-person with peers. Use of screens, lack of safe environments, and commitments to planned, adult-led activities are preventing children from learning necessary life skills. I have heard parents tell me their child is interacting with friends daily through video gaming. While they are getting some social interaction, they are still lacking the benefits of physical activity and risk taking such as jumping and climbing as well as creative thinking because the game is doing it for them. They cannot learn appropriate social cues such as reading a friend’s affect and body language. Different types of play have different benefits for children, so it is important to offer a variety of types of play for a well-rounded, developmental experience.

Toys and object play offer opportunities to promote sensorimotor skills. A young child may shake, bang, bend and throw a toy to learn about its properties. Children become scientists as they investigate how to use the toy in a variety of ways. Creativity and abstract thought are fostered when the toy morphs into something new such as a banana becoming a telephone. Offering toys with a variety of textures, sizes and themes (realistic and fantasy) opens the child’s mind to explore and create.

Physical and risk-taking play is essential for healthy motor development as well as social skills. When children engage in a game of tag, climb trees, jump from a swing or rock, and wrestle with a best friend, they are engaging in risk taking play. It fosters confidence, resilience, communication, and negotiation skills. Rough-and tumble activity teaches children how to win and lose graciously, communicate to solve problems, as well as build emotional intelligence. While engaging in these activities children become more empathetic as they do not want to inflict harm on their friends and respond when they are hurt. Our culture is eliminating opportunities to engage in such activities when schools shorten or eliminate recess, provide more adult-structured activities and less free-play, and through increased indoor time spent on video gaming and screens.

 Outdoor play offers children opportunities to connect with their natural environment and engage their senses. Research has shown that gazing and interacting with naturally a green environment, think grass, trees, and plants, can lower stress levels. The outdoor environment naturally provides opportunities for exercise and physical development as well as improving sensory integration skills. The AAP (2018) found that countries that offer more recess time have greater academic success as well as bring together children from diverse backgrounds to develop friendships.

Pretend or dramatic play allows children to explore and take on different roles. They make sense of their immediate role by recreating lived experiences. They learn to cooperate with peers, turn-taking, sharing ideas, problem solving and conflict resolution. Children’s creativity comes alive as they become a pirate, alien, or firefighter. When given the opportunity children will interact with the resources around them, Amazon boxes become forts, treasure chests, and secret safes. Imaginary play encourages the development of more sophisticated language. Children cooperatively communicate with peers by creating scenarios and stating, “you be the parent and I will be the child.”

In his book Play, Dr. Stuart Brown identifies eight basic play personalities, the collector, the competitor, the creator, the director, the explorer, the joker, the kinesthete, and the storyteller. While Dr. Brown’s book is aimed at adults rediscovering play to reduce anxiety, depression and other life stressors, and promote mental, physical and social health, it is in childhood where we first discover what types of play we are drawn to. As you watch your child engage in play, what do you see? Is she becoming a collector of coins, rocks, or Hot Wheels? Is your son a competitor? Loving the thrill of games with rules, excitement, wins and losses. Perhaps you have seen a creator in the family, spending hours painting, molding, taking apart and rebuilding to create new and exciting works of art. A director enjoys planning and executing scenes or planning events. These kids are the born organizers and leaders. The explorer is not afraid of new people, places, and experiences and has a zest for the nuance. The joker loves to be the class clown and finds acceptance and meaning in bringing joy to others. The kinesthete are those that love to move their bodies, to be in touch with movement within the environment whether through sports, dance, or yoga. And finally, the storyteller, who expresses themselves through plays and written stories or dance and magic tricks. Maybe as you read this, you identify with one of these characteristics or you can pinpoint which area your child thrives in.

                  Play is more than just something children do; it is a vital part of a healthy development. Just like providing essential nutrition and a safe environment, play is also a necessary component to growing into a mentally, physically, and emotionally strong adult and should be a continued practice throughout the lifespan.

 _______________

 Sources

Brown, Stuart. “Play Personalities.” National Institute for Play, 2007, nifplay.org/what-is-play/play-personalities/.

Michael, Yogman. “Academic pediatrics.” Academic Pediatrics, vol. 142, no. 3, Sept. 2018, https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2018-2058.

Yogman, Michael. “The Power of Play: How Fun and Games Help Children Thrive.” HealthyChildren.Org, 25 Nov. 2019, www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/power-of-play/Pages/the-power-of-play-how-fun-and-games-help-children-thrive.aspx.