Play is the foundation of almost all learning in early childhood. Research shows the importance of play in child development, that it’s more than just fun and games, it is related with developmental attribute. Play is a natural and enjoyable activity often refer to as “children’s work” where children show their remarkable ability for exploration, imagination and decision making.
United Nations Convention on Right of the Child(UNCRC) listed play as one of the basic child right in article 31, which states “That every child has the right to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts. That member governments shall respect and promote the right of the child to participate fully in cultural and artistic life. They shall encourage the provision of appropriate and equal opportunities for cultural, artistic, recreational, and leisure activity.” The Convention acknowledge that free play is not optional for children: it is basic to their physical, social, mental and emotional development and intrinsic to their health and happiness in the present moment.
Here are some of the importance of play in child development:
1. Intellectual Development
When a child plays individually and with others their cognitive skills, such as thinking, remembering, learning, working out what might happen next and paying attention are all being developed. Play stimulate the brain while children actively experiment, explore, and strengthen vital cognitive skills. The type of play children engage in changes from infancy through early childhood education to adolescence. Play for infants and babies involves simple, repetitive activities and interactions. These become more diverse and complex as the child grows.
2. Improve Creativity and Imagination
Play unleash incredible creative potential within every child. Free play or independent play is an unstructured form of play that encourages children to design their own play, for example pretend- play provides children with a chance to develop their creative thinking abilities as they are able to use their object substitution skills to represent other objects, create characters, conjure up scenarios, generate their own play worlds, and present different themes, either by themselves or with others. Or building unusual structures, mixing unlikely colors, or trying out funny voices.
3. Encourages Independence
Another importance of play is that it helps children develop a stronger sense of independence. A child that feel at ease when playing alone or independently can also feel more capable of handle and figuring out task. Independent play assist children to create, execute ideas, test hypothesis, they learn to focus on tasks, solve their own problems.
4. Improve Social Competence And Empathy
Playing is crucial in enhancing social development in children. In a free play, the act of pretending as different characters allows individuals to step outside their own view, consider others’ feelings and motivations. When children engage in collaborative activities like board games, team sports, or creative projects teaches individuals how to work with others, take turns, share resources, negotiate with peers . This will enhances children’s social skills.
Read Also: The Benefits of Socialization for Young Children
Playing together to achieve common goal can enhance empathy by encouraging individuals to consider the needs and feelings of others, probably in a team game. When they play together, children tends to explore their feelings, develop self-discipline, learn how to express themselves, work out emotional aspect of life, reduce impulsive behavior, or reduce stress as they act out feelings and events that might be worrying them.
5. Play Promotes Physical Fitness
Active play has worthwhile and wide range health benefit in a child’s life. Any type of play that can get them moving like physical play such as running, skipping and riding a bicycle can help them develop because it helps to sharpen reflexes, movement control, improve gross motor skills, build strong muscles, improve bone density game like skipping can promote this, good physical fitness, agility, stamina, co-ordination, balance, increase cardio-vascular function which can help to reduces the risk of chronic diseases later in life. It’s also great form of exercise, which promotes fit and healthy children.
6. Promote Brain Development
Likewise, importance of play in child development is that it powers the brain in many ways, including providing the child with a better understanding of the world and setting the groundwork for later brain growth, this is because at birth, infants’ brains are equipped with millions of brain cells, or neurons which are connected to each other by synapses. Synapse overproduction allows information captured from the early years to build a foundation for the brain. These connections serve as the foundation for all learning, development, and growth, making play incredibly important for young children, so the time spent playing gives children new experiences which nourish their brain. This is better than time spent watching TV and using tablets.
7. Problem solving skill and confidence
A child that play will have sense of independence which will contribute to the child overall confidence and self esteem. For instance, when a child solve a puzzle, wins a game, or build a tall tower, this will bring a sense of accomplishment and boosts confidence in their abilities.
8. Literacy and Numeracy Development
Play provides opportunities for children to communicate, think, make use of language, interact, get curious and explore. Laying the basis for the following skills and understanding: improve understanding of words and their use, listening and speaking skills, writing skills through scribbling, counting objects, sorting things by size or color, painting and drawing, learning how stories work (plot, characters, structure, purpose and format of words on a page), learning that objects can represent another thing, compare sizes, and measure distance. play helps child development to boost the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein crucial for neuron growth and learning, which can enhance literacy and numeracy development.
9. Ability to Manage Stress
Play increase the ability to control and reduce stress hormones. Research has also shown that making time for play protects children from the negative impacts of prolonged exposure to stress and make them relax physically and mentally. Long periods of stressful situations can affect a child’s physical and mental health.
10. Bond Child and Parent or Caretaker
Parents who play with their children build stronger relationship with them. Even simple games can create special bonding moment for both parents and children. These interactions provide positive life experiences that stimulate children’s brain development and the release of oxytocin. You might like to try the following play ideas and activities with your little one: Music, you could try gentle tapping on your baby’s tummy while you sing, Peekaboo, Gentle tickles, hide-and-seek and telling stories.
Despite the benefits derived from play, several factors have reduced the rate at which children play. This include a hurried lifestyle, changes in family structure, poverty, war and increased attention to academics and enrichment activities at the expense of recess or free child-centered play.
Giving your child plenty of opportunities to play is one of the best ways to help them develop into curious, creative, healthy, and happy adults equipped with the skills they need.
