From babyhood children use play to promote their own learning; they do not have to be persuaded into playing. Being playful seems to be part of life for all young mammals.
Children’s continued play supports all aspects of their development:
Cognitive Development – Through play, children are able to explore intellectually and physically. They can follow their current interests, experiment, and find out what will happen if a certain thing or act is done. They can make choices and consider possibilities;
Communication – They often extend their skills of communication within play, through talking and listening with child play companions as well as with adults who are involved in their play in a flexible way;
Creativity and Imagination – Play allows children to give free rein to their imagination. In pretend games, alone or with play companions, they can be whosoever they want and create an imaginary setting and scenario with a minimum of props;
Learning about roles in society and citizenship – Pretend play allows children to try out adult roles that they could not do in reality. Through play they can be mothers, cooks, firefighters, and nurses. In trying out these roles, children learn about the rules that govern people and society. You will often find children reminding others who are acting out of their role on how they should behave (Hey, a policeman is not supposed to do that!”);
Physical development – Given space and resources, children promote their physical development through play that allows them to use their smaller muscles (fine motor skills) and big muscles (gross motor skills). They develop habits and interests that build a firm basis for healthy activity;
Emotional development – Children sometimes use play in a spontaneous way to work through events and feelings that absorb them. They may choose to retell and sometime rework experiences through their pretend play, story creation, and artwork.
It is useful to consider the question “What do children need in order to play?” The answers are relatively simple:
A welcoming, safe play environment where they can make choices
Adults are there to manage the risks, but not totally eliminate them. Children cannot play and learn if adult fears about “what if…” have created an atmosphere of “watch out,” “stop that,“ and “it’ll have to stop right now.”
Play materials of varied kinds
Remember that store-bought toys are not necessary for play. Open-ended materials, objects that have multiple uses, such as paint, clay, sand, water, and mud are those that open up endless possibilities for children’s play.
Play companions, both children and adults, although sometimes children play alone.
Play is the main way children learn and develop ideas about the world. It helps them build the skills necessary for critical thinking and leadership. Therefore, play is not a break from learning—it’s the way young children learn.
Source: Children’s Play Information Service - ncb
The FREEMAN and the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. is running weekly features on Early Childhood Care and Development to emphasize the importance of Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) and to increase public support for ECCD.