Play is any activity which is fun and self-motivated. It is a “ spur-of- the-moment” activity that leads from one thing to another. It may involve body movements, problem-solving, and creativity.
During play, a child often strives to use new physical, mental, emotional, and social asp0ects.
Victor Cline states that “toys and playthings help stimulate the child’s mental and emotional growth in mastering his/her environment. Play is essential to learning the simplest toys, and is often the best to invigorate the child’s imagination.”
Psychologist Jerome Bruner suggests that “through play, children extend their abilities to think, move, reason, talk, relate to people, learn varied values, and gain friends.”
Play comes naturally so that whatever they can get hold of instantly becomes their toy and their imagination is so energetic and resonant that they bring objects to life.
- Physical Motor Development
In playing with toys, the child sharpens his vision and learns the name of things. He does experiments and research on all the sensory qualities of the world he lives in- seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching everything he can lay his hands on.
Ball toys invite a child to a walk around the room or yard. A climbing gym invites children to climb stairs, sit and slide down, crawl under obstacles, and sit inside a hidden space.
Hide –and-seek, tag, and hopscotch provide plenty of physical play. Tricycles, skates, and bicycles encourage active play, and help children develop good balance.
Puzzles allow children to practice eye-hand coordination. Toddlers’ puzzles should have 6-9 pieces.
- Emotional/Social Development
The give-and- take of interacting with others is emphasized. Relating with others becomes the crucial part of play.
At age 1-2 years, infants engage in solitary play, which means they play by themselves.
Between the ages of 2-3, children want to have another child around when they play.When together they play side by side. This is called parallel play.
At age four, children engage in cooperative play. Children make plans, talk things over, and pretend to be like story books and television characters. Language development is a big assessment in such related activities. Cooperative play helps children, like the skills of sharing and taking turns. Later, they develop feelings of concern and respect for other children.
- Cognitive Development
When children play, they practice language skills when they communicate and solve problems.
Parents should provide stimulating materials like dominoes, lotto, and bingo which are good games for memory, word pictures, or number recognition. These are fit for children ages three and six.
Board games like checkers, chess, and numerous card games are favorites of school-age children that require concentration and other mental skills.
- Parental Involvement in Play
Parents can become involved by following these guidelines:
- Provide age-appropriate toys, equipments, materials, and space
- Set aside time to enjoy playing with the child daily
- Think of/or about the meaning of the child’s play
- Provide a playmate for the child
- Encourage language use during play. Children need to talk, explain, and express themselves when they are involved physically. Laughter, squeals, and different sounds are an important part of play.
- Avoid dominating the child’s play. Parents should follow the child’s lead during play.
As children play with others, they get to know themselves better. They form ideas about themselves by the way others play with them. They develop autonomy and a sense of self.
Parents can help children develop good feelings about themselves by playing with them, exercising, and in the process providing compliments and encouragement.
References:
The Panorama, April 16, 2007.
The Philippine Journal of Education
Hildeband, Dr. Hilda. Parenting:Rewards andResponsibilities. 1997
pp.378-394
The New Lexicon Webster’s Encyclopedia Dictionary of the English.2000
Dayag, Alma M. WikangPagbasaparasaBatang Pilipino 2000 pp. 296-298
By: Emmanda C. Cruz | Teacher II | Carbon Elementary School | Limay, Bataan
