Why Researchers Advocate For Kids To Play More

Feb 24, 2024

7

min read

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any of us have fond memories of eagerly waiting for recess in school to play with our friends or going out in the evening to play.

However, with the availability of more and more technology in homes, today's children are increasingly opting for indoor activities and screen time, leading to a decline in outdoor play and social interaction.

It is becoming increasingly clear that outdoor play and exploration are essential for a child's overall growth and development. Outdoor play offers opportunities for children to engage in physical activity, develop gross and fine motor skills, and improve their coordination and balance.

It also allows them to learn about their environment, engage in imaginative and creative play, and develop social skills through interactions with other children.

‍Studies suggest that young children in countries where schools allow more time for recess see more academic success as they get older.

Promoting outdoor play and physical activity can help children develop well-rounded skills and stay physically and mentally healthy.

"The presence or absence of play, particularly in child development, has a great deal to do with competency, resiliency, emotional health [and] brain size; play is "not frivolous and not just for kids, but something that is an inherent part of human nature." - Stuart Brown (founder and past president of the National Institute for Play)

Play is fundamentally essential for learning 21st-century skills, such as problem-solving, collaboration, and creativity, which require the executive functioning skills that are critical for adult success. - The Power of Play

Developmental Benefits

Affective neuroscientists, who study how emotions work in the brain, have proven that humans are born with seven primary-process emotional systems, one of which is play. All of these emotional systems are pre-wired in the midbrain, the source of our most basic instincts and motivations.

Playing is crucial for young children's development. Babies engage in play from infancy to explore their surroundings and develop cognitive, motor, and social skills. Playtime helps children understand the world around them.

Play also aids in developing essential skills like problem-solving, creativity, and emotional intelligence. Kids learn how to interact with others effectively and build relationships through play.

Physical Health

High amounts of play are associated with low cortisol levels, suggesting that play reduces stress or that unstressed animals play more. Play also activates norepinephrine, which facilitates synaptic learning and improves brain plasticity. -

Regular physical activity through play promotes healthy growth and development in children. It helps maintain a healthy weight, strengthens muscles and bones, improves coordination, and enhances overall physical fitness.

Learning Through Play for Children

Development of Essential Skills

Play experiences are essential for children as they foster learning in various ways. During playtime, kids engage in activities that help them develop crucial skills. Through these play experiences, children learn to solve problems and think critically.

For example, when kids build a tower with blocks, they enhance their problem-solving abilities.

Playing also contributes to the development of creativity and imagination in children. Creative play allows young minds to explore new ideas and concepts freely. By pretending to be characters or creating art during playtime, children exercise their imagination muscles effectively.

Emotional Learning and Social Skills

Moreover, playing provides an avenue for children's emotional learning and social skill development. When children interact with others during playtime, they learn to communicate effectively and collaborate with peers.

These interactions help build empathy and understanding towards others' feelings.

Incorporating free play alongside structured learning can significantly benefit students' overall growth in a school setting. While traditional education focuses on academic subjects, encouraging play time can complement formal learning by nurturing different aspects of a child's development.

Encouraging Child Development Through Play

Play activates the brain's reward centres, floods the rest of the brain with feel-good chemicals like dopamine and oxytocin and triggers the release of decisive neural growth factors that promote learning and mental flexibility. - Newsweek

Creating a Stimulating Environment

"Play is what makes kids, kids. It's what they do." -Alison Gopnik.

Parents play a crucial role in child development by providing a safe and engaging play space. By offering age-appropriate toys and activities, children can enhance their learning experience. This support from parents helps in fostering emotional and physical growth.

Encouraging Unstructured Play

Allowing kids to engage in unstructured play enables them to explore different interests independently. This type of play nurtures their curiosity, leading to enhanced cognitive development.

Children learn how to navigate the world around them through hands-on experiences.

A national survey of 8950 preschool children and parents found that only 51% of children went outside to walk or play once daily with either parent.

Social and Emotional Benefits of Play

Psychologists have found that lack of play as a child can lead to ongoing and cumulative social deficits and cause children to miss out on essential lessons they might gain from playing with their peers.

Building Relationships and Social Skills

Play is crucial for children as it fosters social interaction, enabling them to develop peer relationships. Kids learn how to communicate effectively, cooperate, and resolve conflicts through play.

These interactions help in shaping their character traits positively.

Playing together also teaches children the importance of teamwork and sharing. It allows them to understand boundaries, respect others' opinions, and appreciate diverse perspectives.

Kids enhance their social skills by engaging in group play activities like team sports or collaborative games.

Developing Emotional Intelligence

Playing contributes to the emotional development of children by allowing them to explore various emotions in a safe environment. Pretend play helps youngsters comprehend joy, sadness, anger, or fear.

This exploration aids in developing empathy towards others' feelings and experiences.

Moreover, playtime is an outlet for self-expression where kids can freely express themselves without judgment. This freedom reduces stress levels among children while promoting emotional well-being by providing a healthy avenue for processing feelings.

Understanding Different Types of Play

Types of Play

Play comes in various forms, each offering unique benefits to children. Physical play, such as running and jumping, helps kids develop gross motor skills by enhancing coordination and strength. On the other hand, imaginative play enables children to engage in make-believe scenarios, fostering creativity and storytelling abilities.

Children also benefit from constructive play, using materials like blocks or Legos to build structures. This type of play enhances problem-solving skills and encourages critical thinking. Cooperative play involves interaction with others towards a common goal, teaching kids teamwork and communication skills.

Physical play: Develops gross motor skills
Imaginative play: Enhances creativity
Constructive play: Improves problem-solving abilities
Cooperative play: Teaches teamwork

Importance of Various Play Styles

Each type of play contributes uniquely to a child's development. For example, while physical activities promote healthy habits and fitness levels, imaginative games nurture cognitive functions like memory retention and language development.

Encouraging Child-Driven Play

Encouraging Imagination and Creativity

Open-ended toys like building blocks or art supplies are enrichment tools that stimulate creativity in children. Kids playing freely with these items go beyond the intended use, creating unique scenarios and structures. This type of play allows them to explore their imagination without limitations.

Balancing structured activities with unstructured play provides a mix of guidance and freedom for children to go where their interests lead them. While organized sports or classes have benefits, free play allows kids to make decisions independently.

For example, giving a child a ball can lead to various games they create alone.

Fostering Independence and Decision-Making Skills

Children who engage in self-directed play without constant adult intervention learn to entertain themselves and solve problems creatively.

This process nurtures independence as they realize they can initiate activities without always relying on adults for direction. As kids navigate different scenarios during unstructured playtime, they practice decision-making skills by choosing what games to invent or how long to spend on each activity.

Family Involvement in Children's Play

Strengthening Bonds

Parents engaging in play activities with their children can create stronger bonds. By participating, they promote communication and cooperation while sharing experiences.

Playing together as a family reinforces positive values and teaches valuable problem-solving skills. These shared moments also enhance the learning experience for both parents and children.

Teaching Values

Involvement in group play at home helps relieve stress from daily pressures. Parents taking an active role in play activities foster a deeper parent-child relationship through fun interactions.

Playing as a family strengthens bonds.
Shared experiences teach values.
Relieves stress and enhances relationships.

Significance of Allowing Time for Play in Children's Lives

Developmental Benefits of Play

Research indicates that social play and exploration lead to neurogenesis – the birth of new brain cells – in the dentate gyrus, a part of the hippocampus that plays a crucial role in learning and memory.

Allowing free time for play in children's lives is crucial as it contributes significantly to their overall growth. Kids engaging in unstructured activities enhance their physical abilities by running, jumping, and climbing.

This kind of unscheduled time allows them to develop coordination and balance naturally.

Playtime supports cognitive development as children use their imagination and creativity during play. Kids improve their problem-solving and critical thinking abilities by engaging in pretend play or solving puzzles.

Furthermore, social skills are honed through peer interactions during playdates or group games. Learning to cooperate, communicate effectively, and resolve conflicts are all part of the valuable lessons learned through playing.

Physical development: Running, jumping
Cognitive skills: Problem-solving
Social interaction: Cooperation

Promoting Well-Rounded Growth

Prioritizing play ensures that children have a balanced approach to learning and growing up. It fosters a love for exploration and discovery while instilling a sense of curiosity about the world around them.

By encouraging kids to spend quality time engaged in various forms of play, such as outdoor activities or creative arts and crafts projects, parents can actively contribute to their child's holistic development.