Childhood Connections To Play

Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn.” – O. Fred Donaldson

“The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct.” – Carl Jung

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” – George Bernard Shaw

“Do not keep children to their studies by compulsion but by play.” – Plato

“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.” -  Fred Rogers

Play Is Important

Play is truly the ‘work’ of childhood. Offering a child ample opportunities to play in a variety of settings and with a variety of materials is essential to that child's development.

Benefits of play

It facilitates cognitive development by helping a child develop skills in concentration, memory, perseverance, and motivation.

It advances social development. Playing develops simple skills such as taking turns, and more complex skills such as rule making.

Some forms of play afford children the opportunity to face their fears in a non-threatening way through role play. For instance a child who has just returned from a hospital stay may play out this episode many times with his friends. This will help him overcome the fears and anxieties he may have experienced while in hospital.

It provides the ideal opportunity to explore the world without risk. The opportunity to spend many hours exploring their surroundings enables children to get to know their physical surroundings and learn about the world around them.

Children are naturally active and play encourages physical activity. Rough and tumble play and climbing, jumping, and running all contribute to a child's physical development and wellbeing.

Enjoyable play is important to a child's emotional wellbeing. Children who enjoy imaginative play have been shown to be more likely to smile, to be curious, to show an interest in new experiences, and to express joy in play and in peer relationships.

Encouraging your child to play

As a parent there are a number of things you can do to encourage your child to play:

Recognise the importance of play in your child's life. As parents we tend to place a greater emphasis on schoolwork and educational activities. Remember though that your child will also benefit from plenty of unstructured time when he can play either alone or with his friends or yourself.

From a parent's point of view, a small child's play routine can be boring and repetitive. I'm sure you have all had the experience of picking up an object that has been thrown on the floor for the umpteenth time! Your baby is still enjoying it but you’re beginning to feel that he is making fun of you! Actually your child is simply learning about his physical environment and his ability to control it.

Most parents are tempted to use play to teach their child something. While this is appropriate sometimes, you need to beware of doing this too often. For instance, many parents are tempted to make a game more complex in the hope of teaching their child a new skill. Children who learn through play do so when play occurs in a relaxed and non-threatening environment. When you try to consciously teach your child skills through play you may be introducing an element of stress to the game and block your child from learning.