PLAY is so important to optimal child development that it has been recognized by the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights as a right of every child. This birthright is challenged by forces including child labor and exploitation practices, war and neighborhood violence, and the limited resources available to children living in poverty.
However, even those children who are fortunate enough to have abundant available resources and who live in relative peace may not be receiving the full benefits of play. Play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth. play also offers an ideal opportunity for parents to engage fully with their children. Despite the benefits derived from play for both children and parents, time for free play has been markedly reduced for some children.
Benefits of play :
- Play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength.
- Play is important to healthy brain development. It is through play that children at a very early age engage and interact in the world around them.
- Play allows children to create and explore a world they can master, conquering their fears while practicing adult roles, sometimes in conjunction with other children or adult caregivers. As they master their world, play helps children develop new competencies that lead to enhanced confidence and the resiliency they will need to face future challenges.
- Play is crucial to the development of children's gross and fine motor skills. Through play, children practice and perfect control and coordination of large body movements, as well as small movements of hands and fingers. Child care providers can support young children's motor development by planning play activities that provide children with regular opportunities to move their bodies.
Gross motor skills involve control of the arms, legs, and trunk. Child care providers can help children develop gross motor skills by building in opportunities for children to run, jump, hop, push and pull, dump and fill, throw and catch, climb up- down- over- under- through things. Fine motor skills involve the careful control of small muscles in the hands, feet, fingers, and toes. Activities like dough play, puzzles with varying size handles or knobs, etc.
Undirected play allows children to learn how to work in groups, share, negotiate, resolve conflicts, and learn self-advocacy skills. When play is allowed to be child-driven, children practice decision-making skills, move at their own pace, discover their own areas of interest, and ultimately engage fully in the passions they wish to pursue. In contrast to passive entertainment, play builds active, healthy bodies.
- Despite the numerous benefits derived from play for both children and parents, time for free play has been markedly reduced for some children. This trend has even affected kindergarten children, who have had free play reduced in their schedules to make room for more academics.
- Currently, many schoolchildren are given less free time and fewer physical outlets at school many school districts responded to the No Child Left Behind Act Of 2001 by reducing time committed to recess, the creative arts, and even physical education in an effort to focus on reading and mathematics.
- Some children are given less time for free play exploratory play as they are hurried to adapt to adult roles and prepare for their future at earlier ages.
- Play is integral to the academic environment. It ensures that the school setting attends to the social and emotional development of children as well as their cognitive development. It has been shown to help children adjust to the school setting and even to enhance children's learning readiness, learning behaviors, and problem-solving skills.
- Social-emotional learning is best integrated with academic learning it is concerning if some of the forces that enhance children's ability to learn are elevated at the expense of others.
- In the midst of so many conflicting messages about what parents should do to prepare their child for what is perceived to be an increasingly complicated, competitive world, pediatricians have a natural role to serve as caring, objective child professionals with whom parents can discuss their approach to child-rearing and reflect on their own desires for their children.
- Because, pediatricians have a unique and important role in promoting the physical, emotional, and social well-being of children and adolescents, it is important that they promote strategies that will support children to be resilient and to reduce excessive stressors in their lives.
- Play is a cherished part of childhood that offers children important developmental benefits and parents the opportunity to fully engage with their children.
- Additional research is needed to explore the appropriate balance of play, academic enrichment, and organized activities for children with different temperaments and social, emotional, intellectual, and environmental needs.
Hence,
PLAY plays a crucial role in the physical and mental development of children
