Play is an important activity for children and it’s also a critical strategy in developing life skills.
THE POWER PLAY
Have you ever seen young children negotiate the ground rules of a play activity? “I’ll be the teacher and you be the student,” says one child. “No, you be the teacher’s helper, says another. All by themselves, they work out the roles, and the story evolves.
It’s easy to think that play is just child’s play, but did you know that it can build children’s self-regulated learning and emotional well-being while reducing anxiety? Play just might be children’s very own super power.
Self-regulated learning refers to how children become masters of their own learning processes. Self-regulation is an internal process that is self-directive through which children transform their mental abilities into task-related skills.
PLAY TO BUILD LIFE LONG SKILLS
When kids play they’re learning how to solve problems, communicate, cooperate, negotiate, and read social cues. Young children naturally tend to think of their own experiences to construct new knowledge. During play, they tend to look outwardly. “Oh, you want to make french toast for lunch. I want to have hotdogs for lunch. Maybe we can compromise and do both?”
Children also use play to make sense of things that are confusing or scary. When kids play doctor, for example, there’s often a shot involved because kids are trying to sort out their own fears about going to the doctor.
Play can also be the greatest stress reliever, because it’s the here and now. When children are playing, they’re not thinking about what happened yesterday or what’s happening tomorrow. Instead, they’re running, laughing, imagining, and pretending. What could be better for relieving stress?
HOW TO ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILD’S PLAY
Intentionally make time for pretend play. Offer a few props – for example, a towel used as a cape, an empty roll of paper towels for a telescope, a mask or a box. My kids used to use empty wrapping paper rolls and make ‘kabongers’ and play sword fighting.
You can also read engaging picture books to children. Characters like Kay-Kay, in these books can spark ideas for imaginative play.
Keep an ear out and listen to your child’s play. What is your child trying to work out or understand? Kids are often exploring the concept of power (because they often feel small), e.g., my younger son would don a towel for a cape and jump on the bed playing superheroes, and my older son used to crash toy cars together. By listening or watching you have the opportunity to ask open-ended questions to understand more, e.g., “You crashed two toy cars together. How did that feel?”
Your child’s developmental needs. Most children rough-house play, such as racing through the house, playing hide and seek or kicking a soccer ball. Some children need this activity for sensory processing and self-regulation. Make sure to supervise play and pay attention. Set some game rules to ensure a safe environment, and help your child know how to speak up and say ‘no’ if play feels too rough.
Identify risks versus hazards. My younger son was always getting into mischief. He knew where the cookies were stored so he would put the dishwasher door down and use the dishwasher’s rungs to climb up to the counter in order to capture his ‘prize’. My little risk-taker was strong-willed (still is) and wanted to test his ability. The trick is to help them assess risks versus hazards. The risk was known — my dishwasher. Identifying the risk is something that we can help children analyze, and make decisions about. “How does your body feel after stepping on the dishwasher? How does your foot feel standing on a rung of the dishwasher? Do you think the utensils might be dangerous? A hazard is something potentially dangerous that is unknown and unseen. To keep kids safe, we have to help them analyze risks and avoid hazards. In the end the cookies were moved to a safer location.
Play in all its shapes and forms is an important part of children’s social, emotional, and intellectual development. Remember, it’s never “just child’s play,” but children’s super power.