Play is sometimes perceived as being something that only children do and as a waste of time. As Leo F. Buscaglia stated, “It is paradoxical that many educators and parents still differentiate between a time for learning and a time for playwithout seeing the vital connection between them.” As I discussed in my previous blogs about social skills and using games to develop communication skills, play is valuable for learning; but it is also important as a means of relaxation not only for children, but also for adults.
Children begin to develop play and social skills from the time they are infants. How many of us have spent time making faces at babies, which they imitate? Babies also begin to play with sounds (babbling) in order to acquire the sounds and skills they will need to speak their native language. These play skills continue to develop when babies drop and eventually throw toys for us to “fetch” for them; bang toys and other objects and knock things over as they learn about cause-effect relationships; put things into their mouths as they compare and learn about qualities of objects (Hard? Soft? Edible? Tasty?) ; build things; pour things; and repeat actions over and over again while discovering how slight variations may result in different outcomes. This early learning sets the foundation for cognitive/academic development as “play is the highest form of research” (Albert Einstein).
There are so many things that can be learned/developed through play including the following:
Ø Improved physical development and health
Ø Body awareness
Ø Sensory and behavioral regulation
Ø Motor-planning and dexterity
Ø Pretend play which supports the development of problem-solving skills
Ø Vocabulary
o Labels for objects and actions
o Comparative concepts
o Locational concepts
o Time concepts
o Descriptive words
o Emotion words
Ø Social skills
o Turn-taking
o Topic Maintenance
o Role-playing and perspective-taking
o Sharing
o Compromising
o Winning/losing
Ø Reading and math skills
Ø Sequencing
Ø Counting skills
Ø Classification skills
Ø Creativity and imagination
Ø Safe risk-taking and experimentation
Ø The ability to initiate, plan, and carry through on tasks and activities
Ø Emotional well-being
Research has shown that recess can provide a necessary break which helps with attentiveness in the classroom; that outdoor play can support improved vision skills; and that play provides hands-on activities which help can solidify concepts that are learned.
Self-motivated/directed play is important for children to learn about their world on their own without being subject to adult direction which often sets up more of a “teaching” situation than an environment where learning can take place by trial and error or by fostering a love of learning. So often when children are playing, I’ve seen adults telling them what to do rather than allowing the children to “experiment” and learn on their own. Trial and error and experimentation during play allows children to experience and deal with mistakes which in turn, helps develop resiliency and grit along with helping them to better deal with new situations.
The choice of toys for children is endless! In addition to commercially made toys, many other things can be used including household objects, such as pots and pans, spoons, bowls, boxes from foods and household appliances, laundry baskets, blankets, furniture, clothes, shoes, clothespins, paper, pens, etc.; outdoor items such as sticks, stones, pine cones, dirt piles, etc. One very important “toy” that is often overlooked is other people! Playing games such chase and hide ‘n’ seek. wrestling (safely, of course!), small children ‘climbing up’ or ‘sliding down’ adults’ legs, etc. can be a great way for children to engage with each other and adults! Board games, card games, playground games, sports, and games that children make up on their own are invaluable for learning through play!
While technological play can help to develop skills, modern technology has also resulted in more time spent indoors along with children being involved in solitary activities while reducing engagement in critical, traditional play. While some children and adults feel that such involvement is just being a “typical kid”, at times technology is used as a way of avoiding interactions with others, especially if language or social skills are areas of weakness. (Look for LeeAnne’s upcoming blogs on technology.)
As we think about play, we need to consider what type of example we set for our children. How much time do we find for ourselves to “play”? How much time do we spend giving ourselves “down” time or exploring our own world? Spend time imagining our world in a different way? Doing something totally spontaneous? Maybe this is one of the many things our children can help us to learn!
Carol A. Walck, M.S., CCC-SLP