Play is a universal phenomena, whether it's
a puppy chasing its tail, or young birds swooping through the air. The
importance of play to youngsters should not be underestimated.
Play is an essential part of growing up and researchers believe
it's critical to ensure children reach
their full potential in life. Researches show that brain connections develop during
periods of play.
Parents don't always understand the importance of play however,
and in today's competitive world, the temptation is to stop your children
"wasting time" and to put the time to what they believe is more
constructive use. For a child, play is the only constructive activity.
How does play help the child?
Play allows a young child to be "in charge." Think
about this -- in their everyday lives, they're small and powerless, always
being told what to do, and how to do it. Without an adult around, they're
running the show!
Play helps children learn about the world in which they live.
They can investigate and discover, test their theories, spatial relationships,
explore cause and effect, societal roles and family values. Such is the
importance of play, there's virtually no area of life about which it can't teach
a child something.
Play builds self-esteem. Children often play at something
they know they can do well, at which they can be successful.
Play builds social skills. Children begin playing with
inanimate and non-threatening objects, like cuddly toys, bricks etc, thus practice their interactive skills. Later, playing with other children builds on this foundation as they learn to share, take turns, assert themselves
and begin to empathize with others.
Play with parents shouldn't be underestimated either, as
research shows that children whose parents play with them ultimately develop
superior social skills.
Play also provides the opportunity for children to work out
their feelings. The importance of dealing with difficult or unpleasant emotions
is immense. A child who's worried about going to the dentist, for example, may
deal with the anxiety by setting up a clinic for dolls with toothache.
Play helps in language development. Think of the vast number
of words a toddler uses during play, many of them repeatedly, enhancing their
language skills.
Play allows children to grow beyond their years. They can
pretend to be all sorts of things in play - a doctor, a surgeon, a civil
engineer even!!
Finally, we cannot forget to consider the importance of stimulating the child's creativity and imagination - making a castle in the sand, or a car
garage out of a shoe box, taking an order in their own (imaginary) restaurant
or dressing up as a king or queen - these all allow children to stretch the limits of their world and experience the fun
in make-believe.
Rest in Next....Allow your child to play!
