Allied Health

Let them play!

In our busy, fast-paced world, it’s easy to overlook the importance of play in a child’s development.  Greater access to technology and social media; and an increase in parental concern regarding the safety of unsupervised play has also impacted the amount of time young people spend directly engaged in play-based activities with their peers.

But did you know that play is the key to learning? Research has shown that play enriches learning experiences and develops important life skills such as inquiry, expression and teamwork.  Furthermore, interactive play teaches children reciprocity, sharing, perspective-taking and cooperation; and it fosters feelings of connection and acceptance.  Play helps children to develop trust and respect of others and to grow into healthy, happy and well-rounded adults.  Play is also vital for the development of emotional intelligence, which includes self-awareness, empathy, motivation, social skills and self-regulation.  Emotional intelligence has long been identified as a greater predictor of success than academic skills and knowledge alone.

Another significant aspect of play is that it provides an opportunity for children to employ their creativity and imagination, which promotes ‘outside the box’ thinking, innovation and curiosity. Creative people possess the capacity to generate new and imaginative ideas and bring them into reality.  They can perceive the world in new and different ways, find hidden patterns and make connections between seemingly unrelated phenomena to generate solutions.  Imagination and creativity are traits demonstrated by some of the greatest thinkers in history, including Thomas Edison, Isaac Newton, Walt Disney, Albert Einstein and Leonardo Di Vinci.

According to Albert Einstein, “An individual’s intelligence is not contingent on the facts he knows, but on how he applies them creatively to solve problems in the world.”  He also claimed that “Imagination is the highest form of research.” To play is to experiment; and the great part about play is that while being creative, you can’t make a mistake! 

We can foster play opportunities for our children by setting screen limits, reducing extracurricular commitments, letting them get ‘bored,’ inviting their friends for playdates and through praise.  Encourage your child to embrace their imagination, expand their thinking and create their own realities ….. Let them play!