"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.
