The benefits of play in the development of children

26 Feb The benefits of play in the development of children

Play is one of the best ways to support your son or daughter to develop fully. Play is very important for girls and boys, and it is their natural activity that allows them to learn and develop fully. Playing is good!

The game allows boys and girls to imagine, explore, represent different situations and thus know and discover their abilities, expressing emotions and showing their way of seeing the world. Free and natural play allows you to experiment and thus learning is generated!

The benefits of the game in development are innumerable!

By rolling back and forth on the ground, crawling, climbing a ladder, climbing a tree, or jumping like a frog, the girl or boy is getting to know and exploring the infinite alternatives that their body has, and the way it responds in certain situations. It is precisely this simple action that allows you to trust yourself and your possibilities

Play is a natural impulse of the human being to pleasantly explore what is around them, nobody teaches a girl or boy to play, since they know how to do it from birth! As they grow older, what changes in the type of play and activities that are most enjoyable or attractive to them? For them to play, we just need to provide them with a safe and appropriate space to make play an essential part of their daily activity.

How do boys and girls play?

As children grow older they show the enjoyment of playing. Around the age of 4, his games evolve towards interaction with others. The imitation of everyday actions is a way of elaborating thinking, it is important that children have the opportunity to do many different things and not pigeonhole them “in boy’s games” and “girl’s games”!

Men have to learn to take care of others, they have the right to cry and express their emotions. Girls, meanwhile, need to learn to use their bodies, feel strong and capable of taking charge of themselves.

Imitation games appear strongly between the ages of 4 and 6, where girls and boys play people who are significant to them, they also imitate a doctor, a teacher, and a salesperson, among others, and they need to interact with others to do so and playing the various roles, which is great fun for them.

The game appears smoothly in a context of trust and security

If you look closely you will see that the desire to play appears more strongly when surrounded by people who love it, and in a place where they feel protected. As we feel calm and safe, we dare to explore! So:

• Encourage and praise the child.
• Don’t make fun of their fears and worries.
• Give him a chance to be independent and make some decisions.
• Try not to impose your rules on the game.

Play and learning

Exploration and free play make learning possible, since as the girl and boy discover, they learn from these experiences, in play and exploration millions of neural connections are generated!

Free play is one that does not have interventions from an adult, and that is started and ended by the girl and boy.

For free or spontaneous play to develop, it is important to have safe spaces that do not generate inconveniences or accidents.

It offers the opportunity to play different games:

• Active games
• Quiet games
• Look at books
• Draw, paint, and color
• Experimenting and getting dirty games
• Music and noise
• Outdoor games

Use of TV and electronic devices

Television and electronic devices limit play and movement, so:

• At 4 years of age, the girl or boy should not watch more than 90 minutes of TV a day.
• Avoid devices such as television, cell phones, tablets or computers, at least an hour before going to bed.
• Eating while watching screens will make you more likely to inadvertently consume food and to talk less.
• Avoid eating in front of screens.

Did you know?

Promoting free play is a very effective way for boys and girls to develop comprehensively. The game enhances the cognitive, social, emotional, and linguistic capacities of boys and girls.

Through it they learn, for example, to solve everyday problems, to wait for turns, regulate their behavior, trust themselves and share, among other benefits.

Having adults play with boys and girls is a good way to share a pleasant moment for both of you, to reinforce your achievements, and strengthen your relationship by reading, interpreting, and responding to their signals.

You may also love to read Three fun recycling activities for kids