Parent Connection: Your Child and Play

We all know that children like to play. But what we may not knowis the importance of play in a child’s life. It has been said that play is the natural presence of work for a child. Play is essential to every area of a child’s growth and development.

Mentally
Play enables children to know things about the world and to discover information essential to learning. Through play children learn basic concepts such as colors, counting, how to build things, and how to solve problems. Thinking and reasoning skills are at work every time a child engages in some type of play. Life tasks such as climbing stairs are first introduced to a child through play.

Socially
Children learn to relate to one another, negotiate roles, obey rules, and most importantly, the satisfaction of belonging to a group. Learning how to gain friendships is one of the most rewarding outcomes of play.

Emotionally
Play fulfills many needs including a sense of accomplishment, successfully giving and receiving attention, and the need for self-esteem. Play brings to children other emotionally satisfying experiences such as a sense of fairness, meaningful activity, and recognition. Through dramatic play chidren encounter a wide range of emotions such as anger, fear, frustration, stress and will discover ways to cope with these feelings.

Physically
Play provides a means for energy to be put to use. It strengthens and refines small and large motor skills, and it builds stamina and strength. Sensory learning develops mostly through play. Play is significant to physical development in that without it the body could not grow and develop normally.

Children have a strong, natural desire to investigate, explore, and make sense out of their world through play. The quality of play can be supported by home and school alike as we create appropriate learning environments and choose materials and equipment that maximize a child’s play opportunities.

…..Karin Klein, Administrator, Red Hill School, Red Hill, PA