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Child's play: Understanding the importance of play By Jacqueline Gately James Howell had it right when he said, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. "That was back in 1659, long before the days of MCAS and soccer Moms - and still it rings true. Play helps a child develop critical life skills. Without enough play, he risks under-developing those skills and potential behavior issues. All Play Is Not Equal It's easy to understand why well-intentioned parents put school work, organized sports, structured after-school programs, and chores before a child's free play time. It just doesn't look productive. For many parents, it's a tremendous mind-shift to value plain, imaginative fun. Even during down-time, many parents feel compelled to impart some tangible skill, like writing the alphabet, learning colors, or matching pictures when they play with a child. "There is a seriousness I see now around play," says Mary Mindess, professor of education at Lesley University in Cambridge. She cautions, "If it is always organized, that really is not play." As a mother of two and author of "The Over-Scheduled Child: Avoiding the Hyper-Parenting Trap" (St. Martin's Griffin, 2000), Nicole Wise can relate. "By working so hard to give our kids every conceivable advantage, "she says "we also make it hard for them to develop as people and figure out who they are." Playing with toys that allow for imaginative play helps the child develop skills that escape the eye, like resilience, problem solving, and confidence. Opt for "Open-Ended" materials, like play figures, play-doh, beads, pom-poms, sequins, and marbles, which provide opportunities for the child to be creative and to feel good about what he's doing, says Wise. Unstructured play-dates or neighborhood get-togethers also provide that opportunity. "Play is not about getting something done, "says Dr. Peter Metz, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at UMass Medical School. In an ideal situation, he says the child is free to set the agenda and the parent or caregiver is able to let his own agenda go." Doing so reinforces the child's self-esteem by showing him that his ideas are good ones. "It is absolutely crucial for a child to know they can be valued and endorsed just for who they are at any point in time." says Dr. Metz "Children have very little power to affect much of anything going on in the real world," reminds Dr. Metz. he says free play is how children-especially young children - have an opportunity to develop their own voice, and a sense of confidence and competence in making meaning of the world around them. Learning Through Play While it may seem pointless or dull to replay the same play scenario over and over again, for the child, it builds psychological resilience, says Mindess. Much like an adult who practices fair an interview, rehearsal builds confidence and reduces anxiety. When a child repeats a task, she is validating what she already knows, and learning new things. Whether it's building with blocks or repeating a conflict between play figures, do it again and again helps her feel comfortable with the outcome. Mindess says play also helps a child cope with fears, especially during tragedy or in traumatic situations. "The essence of play is the symbolic level at which it occurs. The child can lay out different ways it could work for the character involved in a situation," which helps the child figure out different ways she could work out any situation she's in. When a child takes the risk to play on something physically challenging, like monkey bars, says Mindess, and she's mastered the skill, "there is a certain kind of zest that gets carried over to academic kinds of things." In addition to mastering the monkey bars, she now has that pattern of approaching a problem in her head, says Mindess. The underlying basis of problem solving is imagination, which, says Diane Postpoian, Director of Looking Glass Theatre in Providence, "gives kids tools to help them think some other possibility is there." Performers of Looking Glass Theatre tell stories throughout New England amidst minimal sets, enlisting children as props when needed. "Kids have the innate gift and ability to make due on their own, and it's so much more fruitful! But adults asked to 'think outside the box' often panic, "we're afraid we'll get it "wrong." More Play Needed In addition to long term benefits of play, there are more immediate results. For one, playtime is a great stress-buster, says Mindess. She says free play at recess helps rejuvenate children. "It puts a lot of tension on the body." The act of play releases that pressure. It's important that after-school programs or extended day programs allow enough play as well, says Mindess. "If behavior tends to be an issue, free play is probably what's needed. But just how much play is 'enough?' It's hard to gauge says Metz. He suggest tuning into behavior issues, and watching for other signs of stress, like crying, meltdowns, frustration, or exhaustion that might meant the child's time is too structured. "Too often," says Postpoian, "Where dragging children into our world of stuff and places we have to go and things we have to do, when a playmate would do the trick." In fact, she says we could all benefit by taking cue from playful children. Says Postoian, "You might be surprised what you learn." Jacqueline Gately is a freelance writer and mother of two from Wrentham who writes about family, home, and garden. She can be reached at Jgately@magwriter.org |
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