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How Play Impacts The Development of Children
One of the most important things children can do is play. Play, especially free and outdoor play, offers children a number of benefits including improvement in their cognitive, social and communication skills as well as benefits their mental health.
How Play Impacts Child Development
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, play is essential to a child’s development because “it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth.”
Here are 5 ways play impacts child development:
1. Play fosters cognitive development.
2. Play helps children improve their social development and communication skills.
3. Play helps children with emotional development.
4. Play allows for physical activity.
5. Play is great for a child’s mental health.
1. Play fosters cognitive development.
According to an article written by Lori Blahey, a senior marketing consultant at the Edmonton Public Library, play “fosters cognitive development,” which is a fancy way of saying that it helps with brain development. She goes on to say that play, especially unstructured play “strengthens and increases neural connections in the brain. These are the paths in the brain that we use for thinking.”
Another cool thing about unstructured play and brain development that Blahey points out is that it “helps build and strengthen the prefrontal cortex of the brain. This area influences the way a child learns, solves problems and gains knowledge about their environment.”
2. Play helps children improve their social development and communication skills.
An article from Healthline explains that play is great for helping children with social development as well as improving their communication skills because it helps them “learn how to interact with others.” The article goes on to say that play allows children to “develop an understanding of social expectations and rules, and play provides opportunities to share thoughts and ideas, to listen, and to compromise.” Children can also practice back and forth conversions during play.
Additionally, according to the article by Lori Blahey, play helps children learn about “communication and its structure.” Blahey also points out that play allows children to “explore how to work in groups, to share, to negotiate, to solve conflicts, and to speak up for themselves.”
And, according to the National Association for the Education of Young Children, play also helps children to learn new vocabulary.
3. Play helps children with emotional development.
Play is not only great for cognitive development. It also helps children with their emotional development. According to Healthline, “play helps children understand and process their emotions.”
4. Play allows for physical activity.
Play helps kids get the physical activity they need each day. Like we said in our post, Play Time During the Winter: Tips & Tricks, kids need lots of physical activity each day. In fact, according to the American Heart Association, children ages 3 to 5 need “plenty of opportunities to move throughout the day.” And, kids ages 6-17 should aim to get at least “60 minutes per day of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity.“
Play, especially outdoor play, gives children the opportunity to get the physical activity they need. This, in turn, helps them to:
- Build strong muscles and improve bone density
- Develop their gross motor skills
- Improve balance and flexibility
- Increase cardiovascular function
- Sharpen their reflexes
- Work on their motor skills
Additionally, physical activity through play also helps children learn “to use their bodies” as well as “strengthens connections in the brain.”
We talked more in depth about the physical fitness benefits of play in our post: The Benefits of Playgrounds for Young Children in Daycare. Check it out for more info!
5. Play is great for a child’s mental health.
Play is also wonderful for a child’s mental health. It can help them build confidence and self-esteem. And, Lori Blahey points out in her article that “frequent play can help reduce anxiety, stress, and irritability. It also helps boost joy and self-esteem.”
Southeast Outdoors Solutions Can Help You Make the Most of Playtime!
At Southeast Outdoor Solutions, we are all about play! We can build your facility a playground your students will love.
We can install safe, fun, and engaging indoor or outdoor playground equipment for your daycare facility or school. Whether you are looking to install a new playground, or add on to what you already have, we can help! We will work with you to plan and design a playground based on your needs, space, and budget. Give us a call at (770) 709-5605, click here to fill out our contact form, or start building your dream playground today!