Play or playing is a range of voluntary, motivated activities associated with recreational pleasure and enjoyment.
Playing is suitable for any stage in life. But it is often associated with children and juvenile-level activities.
At Fontt Enterprises we are firm believers in the benefits of play within the family.
Here are some benefits of play.
Physical Benefits of Play
Play provides children with the much-needed opportunity to spend their natural energy.
Proper amounts of play promote better eating and sleeping habits. It helps kids with their coordination, balance and motor skills.
Children who don’t like talking much may express their views, experiences, and even frustrations through play.
Play allows parents and caregivers an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the child’s perspective.
In adults, play affords us the opportunity to exercise, improve our motor skills and physical wellbeing.
Parents, endeavour to limit your child’s screen time. Instead, promote lots of physical activity and play.
Try to set an example of a healthy, active lifestyle that includes plenty of games.
Emotional Benefits of Play
While you can see the physical benefits of play, there are other hidden benefits.
Play helps children develop their emotional strength and builds independence. It allows kids to conquer their fears, build self-confidence and self-esteem.
Play helps both children and adults in experimenting with various emotions. Playing helps to release emotions from trauma.
Playing is the way children learn about themselves and the world. Play functions as an essential stress reliever in children and adults.
Social Benefits of Play
Play helps children to learn how to work in groups, to collaborate and to compromise.
Playing helps kids to learn how to deal with other peoples’ feelings. We learn to share, to negotiate, to resolve conflicts, and to learn self-advocacy skills.
Playing encourages children to create and explore a world they can master. It helps them conquering their fears while practising adult roles, sometimes in conjunction with other children or adult caregivers.
Kids love the playground and parks for many reasons. One of the main reasons is because it gives them a chance to visit with their friends outside of school.
They meet new peers and play fun and ‘imaginary’ games that they might not be able to play at home.
It is in group play that children learn how to get along with others and how to handle conflicts.
Benefits of Play in Promoting Creativity
Some people think that playing alone encourages children to shy away from others. It is not always the case.
Playing alone is essential as it allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination.
Children who play lots of “Let’s pretend” learn to be creative. They learn to figure out the thoughts and actions of their various imaginary friends.
Kids who don’t have toys or ready-made props available for play learn to improvise.
Children’s imagination and creativity thrive when they play with games.
Some games provide kids with the opportunity to experience things like what they see at home. Such as a farmer taking care of animals, or a playhouse with a pretend family.
Benefits of Play in Improving Communication
Playing with others lets us exchange thoughts, information or messages by speech, signals, writing, or actions. Our cognitive and language skills develop through our play experiences.
Parents and caregivers who spend enough time playing with their children have an opportunity to glimpse into their children’s world.
Playing provides parents and caregivers with a chance to communicate better with their children.
Playing is another occasion parent can use to offer gentle, nurturing guidance.
Takeaways
It takes time to play! Some parents find taking the necessary time to play with their kids challenging due to pressure from work, household chores, etc.
But, one of the most important gifts we can give our kids is time to play, both as a family and on their own.
If we make out time to play together as a family, parents will get a unique chance to see the world from their child’s perspective and vice versa.
The benefits are endless.
Sources
- The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds
- Benefits of Play
- The Benefits of Play
- The Many Benefits of Play
- 6 Benefits of Play
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