"Deprived of play the child is a prisoner, shut off from all that
makes life real and meaningful. Play is not merely a means of
learning the skills of daily living. The impulse to create and
achieve, working through play, allows the child to grow in body and
mind… Play is one of the ways in which a child may develop a
capacity to deal with the stresses and strains in life as they
press upon him. It acts, too, as a safety valve, allowing him to
relive and often come to terms with fears and anxieties, which have
become overwhelming." - World Organisation for Early Childhood
Education (OMEP).
Children have a natural urge to play. Even the poorest and most
deprived children delight in play. Play is an essential part of
growing up. It helps the child learn and understand the world.
Research has shown that children who play are happier
children.
Each child is unique. Every child has a little personality of his
own. As such, every child will act and play in his own unique way,
exploring his individual abilities.
Children need a supportive adult and a safe environment to develop
their skills and creativity to the fullest. Parents or other
caregivers are the first persons a child will relate to. It is
therefore very important to spend time with your child to
create a close relationship and provide the stimulation needed for
his development. Through play, you will learn to get to know him
better. It often forms an alternative to purely verbal
communication. As the child grows, other people such as friends,
family and teachers will play a key role as well.
Benefits of Play
Play will help your child learn about himself and the environment
through assimilation and practice of skills. By creating their own
world, children can freely try out and master new situations.
For instance, playing with cars, planes and boats will give your
child the opportunity to get to know all the modes of transport.
Likewise, by playing out scenes, he will get familiar with traffic
rules, accidents, speeding and the wonders of staying afloat in the
water or being able to imagine that he can fly just like a
bird.
Play also helps children to make sense of the world according to
their current level of cognitive functioning. Your child may play
out some experiences he had, thus making these situations part of
his inner world.
Children also form self-identity through play. They learn to
exercise control and develop interpersonal relationships. Cultural
expectations and roles can be exercised when playing "family",
"hospital" or "school". Play also enables children to express their
feelings such as anxieties and fears. This can help the child to
come to terms with these feelings and relieve stress. Playing
"doctor and nurse" is a good example.
Types of Play
Your child will develop emotionally, socially, intellectually and
physically through a series of sequential stages. Play requirements
will then vary according to age and the child's developmental
level. Play should advance your child through these stages.
As the child goes through these stages, he will engage in different
types of play:
- Exploratory play is the very first type of play a baby or
toddler will engage in. A baby learns about his environment through
the senses. It is important that he gets the right stimulus by
being provided with appropriate toys like mobiles to look at,
musical toys to listen to, and toys to grip, touch and suck.
- A baby may look at a toy, suck, feel and smell it. In this
instance, the baby is developing the use of his senses. When he
grows, he will learn eye-movement control, first by impulse, later,
planned. A growing baby will grasp for toys and reach out for
objects. Toddlers will enjoy playing with moving objects like balls
and cars. They will also delight in action / reaction games like
pop-up toys, activity centers and musical screens.
- Constructive Play shows the first signs of planning and
conscious use of materials and toys. By building towers from
blocks, the child gets an idea about sizes and shapes. The first
planned pleasure is in knocking the tower over and re-building it
again.
- Energetic Play. When your baby starts to crawl and walk, he
will be more mobile, exploring the area he is in by moving and
touching everything. This is the age when you do not have enough
eyes to watch your exploring child. It is also at this stage that
toddlers make you feel desperate and you think that your child is
being naughty.
What your child is doing here is learning and exploring his world
that's growing bigger and bigger each day and that offers so many
new possibilities. The child is also getting to know his growing
abilities and thinks he can do everything. Setting the limits is
important for him to learn limitations while offering safety in the
expanding world, which sometimes can become overwhelming for your
child. Toddlers love to exercise their growing motor skills and are
very energetic. Going to the playground offers full opportunity for
movement and joy.
- Modelling Play. It is cute to see how children start to copy
the actions of the caregiver and learn the different roles in life.
Your child will follow you everywhere and want to do what you are
doing. It is good to have a few jars and bowls in a special drawer
or cupboard for your child so that he can join in cooking and
washing the dishes when you are doing so.
- Pretend Play. When imagination develops and children can
distinguish the real world from their world of fantasy, pretend
play will develop. The chair becomes a car, various chairs in a row
become a train and your child pretends to be the driver blowing a
whistle when the 'train' leaves. In pretend play, the child learns
about different roles and how to make sense of everything that
happens around him. He is free to create new situations and learns
in free play how to master them.
- Social Play. When children go to primary school, friends become
more and more important in the daily interaction. It is important
for children to belong to some social group, be with their peers
and to have a certain role in this group. It is through trial and
error that children learn their place in their environment.
Attending clubs or other activity groups will help to further
develop their skills and enhance their interaction with different
peer groups in various contexts. Thus, the child learns about
people's uniqueness and social acceptance.
- Skilful Play. During the primary school years, your child will
further develop accomplished skills through activities that require
specific skills such as handicrafts, thinking games and
sports.
Your child will further refine his motor skills, intelligence and
creativity. Specific skills will help him define his personality,
strengths and weakness.
Conclusion
It is important for children to play. Adults should guide children
and stimulate them by offering time, space and company. It is
important to follow the child's interest and introduce new types of
play to him in order to help him grow according to the various
developmental stages.
Play is fun and helps the child find his way in the big world. It
is a pleasure and a privilege to share with your child.
The information is provided by KK Hospital - Singapore's
leading Women and Children's Hospital. Please visit www.kkh.com.sg for more
information.