Social Play: The Power Of Play In Child Development

For this extended assignment I am going to focus on play and the importance of play is for children and young people. I am going to focus on children up to age of 6. “Play is a spontaneous and active process in which thinking, feeling and doing can flourish.” (http://www.playwales.org.uk/ ). Play is Important for children and young people’s as it can help children to build their confidence. Also, play helps children to develop their physical, mental, social and emotionally.

Play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth. 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. 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.

Knowing how the different areas of development are dependent on each other helps us to better understand the holistic development of the child. Some of the ways which social and emotional development affect other areas of development are: Having strong gross motor and fine motor skills can help a child to interact and build relationships. Children build relationships and start friendships through play. Some of the skills that can help a child in these situations are running and jumping. Children also need certain skills to adapt to their social environment.

The first outcome was that play can support a child physically, mentally, and emotionally through their development and growth, play can teach children how to stay safe by challenging safely and exploring physical and emotional risks. Play encourages children to be in control and have choice which enhances their self esteem. Children gain a respect when playing as they learn to communicate well, by interacting with others, and finally children who have explored play in early years become more confident within later life as they are more likely to engage in lifelong learning (Macleod- Brudenell & Kay, 2008). Play is clearly shown to benefit children and provide them with skills they can use throughout

For the children I have observed play is serious but fun. It is through play that they learn about the world around them and their place in it. In my 16 years of working in a primary setting I have had many opportunities to study children at play, particularly in the early years. It has been interesting to see continuous provision in action – planned by a team who really understand the value of age appropriate play. Children are offered stimulating resources within an enabling environment which allows for positive learning experiences and cover the EYFS 6 areas of development.

As children’s experiences and knowledge are often communicated through play, it becomes an important vehicle for them to know and accept themselves and others. One of the most common types of play therapy for children is child-based therapy, in which a therapist and a child work alone. This is often used if there is a concern about the parents or abuse in the family, but can also be done simply to make the child feel more comfortable. It can be used to treat behavioural problems, anxiety, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), autism, and the effects of abuse. There are two types of play therapy although both start with the therapist suggesting a general topic or

And play is a medium for learning especially for young children simply because play is so intuitive to them. Some researchers like Winner and Melinda (2009) suggested, children learn more efficiently and gain more knowledge through activities such as dramatic play, art, and social games. Dewey famously said, “Education is not preparation for life, education is life itself” (Dewey, 1897). The purpose of education is not to institutionalise children so that they learn what we needed them to learn. Rather, as Dewey

The self concept is the basic representation in children 's minds of who they are and what they are like. Social learning theorists emphasize that the self concept is built upon the identification with role models, an assessment of self worth, and a preferred pattern in relating to the external world (Carver and Scheier, 1992). Children learn to interact through modelling and imitation of others, particularly role models. Anyone may be a role model for the child in early childhood whom the child admires. The influence of a role model can affect individuals’ personality, ambitions or interest.

I agree that play-based learning offers diverse opportunities for children to explore, discover and create, they can also discover new things and communicate with peer during free-play time. Frobel said that “Play is the highest expression of human development in childhood, for it alone is the free expression of what is in a child 's soul” (Froebel, 1887). He believed in the importance of play in a child’s learning as creative activity. Play provided the means for a child’s intellectual, social, emotional and physical development which are necessary elements in educating the “whole” children allowing them to use all imaginative powers and physical movements to explore their interests. Children are able to develop and practise motor skills and bodily movements through physical plays.

Play is a ubiquitous phenomenon where children learn about the constantly-changing world (Elkind, 2004). Teachers and families frequently have different perspectives on the value of play. Early childhood educators believe that “play is a child’s work” yet there are still parents who have the impression that play in the curriculum have no learning objectives but to become a time-filler and are therefore, meaningless (Ng, 2012). There is a plethora of research done on the social, cognitive, emotional, and language benefits of play. Play is so essential that the United Nations High Commission on Human Rights (1989) recognized play as a fundamental right of every child.