The Power of Play
While babysitting recently, the 15-month-old was a little wary at my arrival. Once I started reciting “This Little Piggy” on her toes, she broke into a giant smile, and we were good friends. Play helps build social skills, emotional well-being, physical development, and literacy. When I’m around small children, I love the opportunity to be silly and giggle together, but I don’t cultivate as easily it in my own life. Not only do we need to help our children find more opportunities for unstructured play, we can benefit from creating these experiences for ourselves as adults. Playing will help us navigate stresses in our world. When we play, we can inspire joy and playfulness in the children and families around us.
Play builds physical and literacy skills
Playing children will create storylines, build language, and act out stories, which all impact their literacy skills positively. Most importantly, we are building relationships when we play together. The National Literacy Trust reports “Play supports a variety of skills, physical, gross and fine motor, which will also support writing. Active play promotes muscle development, develops imagination and communication skills, and helps coordination and overall health.” When children play together, they learn subtle physical and social boundaries and problem-solving skills, fostering a sense of connection and engagement.
Protect playtime
Much great imaginative play sprouts out of boredom. If tablets and phones are handy, we are more likely to reach for those instead of creating some of our fun. To ensure children have time for unstructured, freely chosen play daily, pediatricians recommend that families limit screen time. “The younger the child, the less time they should be using digital devices,” writes NI Direct UK.
The Play for Parents Guide by Playboard Northern Ireland writes, “Don’t be tempted to use screens to distract children or to keep them quiet – talk to your children, play games, or look at a book instead.” We can play fingerplays or rhymes while waiting in line or at a restaurant, sing songs, or ask 20 questions. Often, kids (and grown-ups alike) might get a little cranky near the end of the day if they don’t have fun playtime breaks throughout.
Outdoor Play
Nature and outdoor play have a host of health benefits for all of us. Being outside naturally calms our bodies’ stress responses, reassuring us of our well-being. Children will learn the wonder and magic of nature, which will help them to grow into adults who value the environment. The concept of kindergarten, started by German Friedrich Froebel centuries ago, had a basis in nature and gardening – hence the name kindergarten – a garden for children. Seasonal play keeps engagement higher with changing environments. Summer play might involve sprinkler runs and winter snowball fights.
Prioritizing playful moments can benefit all of our lives. We can feel more present and connected with the children in our lives and ensure that our to-do lists are not controlling our lives. We can create a life by dancing in the kitchen, laughing when the puppy tries to catch the bubbles we’re blowing, and sledding down the hills together.
Resources
Free Range Kids by Lenore Skenazy
Play by Stuart Brown, M.D. and Christopher Vaughan
Play Matters – full of many ideas for play
Power of Play by David Elkind
Power of Play and Optimism – October 2024 OPEC training with Steve Gross (for OPEC affiliates)
By Megan McQueen. Spanish translation by IRCO’s International Language Bank.
Megan McQueen is a warmhearted teacher, coach, consultant, and writer. She grounds her work in empathetic education, imparting a strong sense of community and social skills to those with which she works. Megan prioritizes emotional learning and problem solving skills. When not at work, she is most likely playing with her husband, two children, and pup.
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