At a very basic level, children develop control of their bodies and muscles through play. Jumping, skipping, throwing, bouncing, all help with coordination and motor development. Play is also extremely important in the social and emotional lives of our children. It helps children work through the emotional stages of childhood including developing trust, autonomy, initiative and a sense of competence. Children gain social skills, develop interpersonal relationships, and experiment with various roles in play. Make-believe play, in particular, has been related to increases in cooperation, empathy, impulse control, and reduced aggression. Play also offers opportunities for expressive language, decision-making, and problem solving. On a cognitive level, young children learn through the "hands on" experiences of play. They can learn about weight through playing with sand and water, about numbers by counting vegetables in the pretend store, and about using symbols by playing with unstructured toys. These activities that may seem so simple actually lay the groundwork for later learning in reading, writing, math, and science.
To be considered play, leading researches agree that children's activities must meet certain criteria. First, the play activity must be pleasurable and enjoyable. Second, it must be spontaneous and voluntary. The child should chose the play, not be told what to play. Third, the player must be actively engaged in play. When a child sits passively and watches play happen, this is not considered a play activity. Next, play contains an aspect of make believe. Lastly, play must have no extrinsic goals. The play experience must happen for the sake of play, not with a covert agenda of teaching a skill. 1
Today, a large percentage of typical daily activities for children do not meet the requirements for true play. In the mix of high-tech toys, pressure for early academics, organized sports, computer games and television, children aren't playing in the true spirit of play. Child development specialists, teachers, and parents are observing that children are increasingly wanting to be entertained and seem to be losing their ability to play creatively. Meaning that when they do play, children are reenacting scenes they have seen on television and in computer games, not playing out of their own imaginations.
Many child development specialists, psychologists, educators, and health professionals are beginning to speak out on the subject. Groups such as The Alliance for Childhood (www.allianceforchildhood.org) and the International Association for the Child’s Right to Play (www.ipausa.org) are educating parents and policy makers and advocating on behalf of children’s right to play. Many books are also addressing the importance of creativity and imagination, some even refuting marketing by toy companies that claim to be based on brain research. Dr. Jane M. Healy’s Endangered Minds: Why Children Don’t Think and What We Can Do About It and Einstein Never Used Flash Cards by Doctors Roberta Michnick Golinkoff and Kathy Hirsh-Pasek are two good examples. Also, recent advances in brain research are beginning to confirm what many play based philosophies, such as Waldorf education, already knew – heavy emphasis on early academics isn’t age appropriate. Children need to play. They need to be given time for child-initiated, spontaneous play free from adult interruption or direction.
Three Sisters was founded in the spirit of keeping play alive in childhood. We are committed to increasing awareness on the importance of creative play and advocating on behalf of children's right to play. We aim to offer information for parents and truly creative play materials for children.
1 Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, Ph.D and Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Ph.D Einstein Never Used Flash Cards (2003)
© Dana Johnson, MSW
Owner of Three Sisters Toys
