Imagine if a hard day at work consisted of building sand castles, splashing in puddles, finger painting, a game of hide and seek, some basketball and blowing a few bubbles before clocking off for the day.
And yet for young children, this would be a solid (and quite exhausting) day’s toil. The funny thing is that the more parents can see this from our child’s point of view, the more fun and benefits we can all gain by making time to play with our children.
Play is children’s 'work', because it’s how they develop their minds and bodies to their fullest potential.
Games and play may appear to be just entertainment, but for children they have important social, psychomotor and behavioral rewards. Through play, children develop their cognitive skills, and it takes quite an effort on their part as they learn about things like:
Play and games can also expose children to a full range of emotions: everything from anger, fear, grief, and anxiety to curiosity, joy and excitement. Pretend play also allows the free expression of ideas and emotions, which is an important part of building self-identity. And through play, children also learn to think in different ways as they experience a sense of wonder, develop a sense of humor, and derive satisfaction from solving simple problems.
If you watch children playing, you’ll notice that as they grow, their way of playing changes:
As kids are exposed to more technology and pressured to start formal education at an earlier age, this affects the spontaneity of play and games. As well as playing structured games or having a specific goal, what’s called 'free play' is important. It’s important, therefore, to encourage kids to play at home too – and to join in sometimes yourself!