“Play is an opportunity for children to learn about themselves and others and make sense of the world. In a rich play environment with skilled and caring adults, children are challenged to become increasingly sophisticated researchers and meaning-makers — messy little scientists and social communicators. These are skills necessary for school success.”
Here are seven ways that children benefit from the power of play—and reasons caregivers should prioritize it:
- Develop critical skills
When children play, they are making great strides in all essential areas of development: cognitive, physical, language, and social/emotional. They practice and reinforce these skills in a way that can’t be achieved through worksheets or screen time. - Learn autonomy and risk-taking
Children make their own decisions during play and begin to understand the relationship between choice and consequence. The spontaneity of play promotes healthy risk-taking and the sense of the unknown helps children develop resilience. - Gain self-control
Play allows opportunities for children to regulate their feelings, delay gratification, and negotiate with others, all important aspects of developing self-control, a critical executive function skill throughout life. - Engage with the world
Children are natural scientists and explorers. Play is a time to test out new ideas and gain a tactile understanding of the world. - Practice mindfulness
While playing, children feel safe and secure trying new ideas and experimenting. As they become engrossed in play, they suspend awareness of time and space, becoming fully present in the task at hand. - Build relationships
Play nurtures relationships with oneself and others. Children learn how to interact and share with their peers while also developing a greater sense of self. - Feel joy
Play is a natural stress-reliever, a source of profound enjoyment and happiness, and an outlet that allows children to work through anxieties and fears.
