Physical play is important for children to keep fit and healthy. Physical play is the type of play that gets your child moving from big movements like running and jumping to small movements like picking up a pencil or tying a knot. Kids burn more calories through active play than any other type of play, which can help keep them fit, and contribute to a huge range of health benefits. It also helps children to understand their bodies for what they can do rather than what they look like and this can help children have better body image, self-confidence, and a greater sense of achievement – no matter what their ability. Physical activity has also been shown to contribute to brain growth and function and attention to academic subjects.
This type of play involves children being physically active, either indoors or outdoors, as all children need to let off steam and burn off their natural energy. Studies show that the earlier you get children active the more active they will choose to be when they are older and play is a natural choice to make activity fun for young children.
Experts believe that play is vital for a child’s emotional development; the emergence of their experience, expression and understanding. From processing ideas and feelings to developing empathy, emotional resilience and coping with anxiety, play is a natural way for children to develop the skills they need to understand the world they live in. Playing in nature can boost children’s mood and self-esteem and may even contribute to making them nicer people!
It is also important for children to deal with fear within a safe play environment in order for them to understand that fear is normal and helps them feel comfortable within themselves, learn to cope with their emotions, learn to problem solve and find solutions to a situation.
Pretend and group play can contribute to children learning to express and understand their own and other children’s feelings. However, all play helps emotional development, the key is to allow your child the space and time to try different types of play. From encouraging play and comfort with a cuddly toy in young children to rough and tumble play that allows children to let off steam and learn boundaries with others, children are learning and developing essential coping skills and emotional resilience for the life ahead of them. And more generally being able to win and lose and understand rules and challenges.
Creative play is a great way for children to express themselves, innovate and develop their imaginations. Being creative and imaginative helps children to develop the skills to be innovative problem solvers as they reach adulthood and these skills are important no matter what career path they take, from artists to scientists! Creating something from their imagination can raise a child’s self-esteem, help process emotions and develop spatial awareness. Arts and crafts and modelling also encourage children to use their hands which builds up the strength and coordination (known as fine motor skills) needed for holding a pen or pencil to learn to write. It also teaches hand – eye co-ordination and concentration which are useful for everything from writing to sports!
Play can encourage children to express themselves and find their own sense of identity. Creative and imaginative play is a comfortable and non-threatening place where children have control over what they do. Through imaginative play and art and crafts, children can reflect their emotions and raise their self-esteem as they showcase what they have created.
Social skills are key for everyone to learn at an early age. Through social play children learn how to interact with those around them, build friendships, learn empathy and develop their communication skills, verbally and non-verbally. Playing with others can also teach children about co-operation and trust. Social skills are a crucial life skill that affect every aspect of a person’s life, through the connection they create for children with their teachers, family and the friendships they build with peers.
Social play is any play with two or more people taking part. Social games are fantastic for bringing family and friends together and often have rules to follow which teach children about instructions, rules, boundaries and the concept of winning and losing. Social activities teach children about sharing, turn-taking, cooperation, leadership skills and how to resolve conflict, without them even realising that they are learning!
As children interact more with one another whilst playing they learn valuable communication skills; verbal and non-verbal (body language and expressions). Being able to effectively communicate with people is a powerful skill and relies on a child being able to say what they want, listen to others and interpret what goes on around them- and playing does just this! Through social play children learn to detect body language; deceit, anxiety, danger, affection, concern and a whole host of other emotions, which are all required to understand the true meaning of the words and is a skill needed for adult life.
Communication is not just about the words you use, but also about the way you’re speaking and your body language. There are two types of communication that a child needs to learn: verbal communication (the spoken word) and non-verbal communication (such as body language and expressions). Being able to effectively communicate with people is a powerful skill and relies on a child being able to say what they want, listen to others and interpret what goes on around them. Children naturally develop both of these types of communication when they play with others.
Verbal communication is the way in which a child learns to understand and produce language in order to communicate, things like talking singing and reading can help develop this skill. A child learns to listen to what is being said to them and how to respond properly to ensure people understand them, for example, listening and learning the rules of the game.
Non-verbal communication is the first form of communication a child uses; during their first year of life babies convey their wants and needs entirely through non-verbal communication such as crying, laughing, facial expressions and full body communication. This type of communication teaches a child to detect deceit, anxiety, danger, affection, concern and a whole host of other emotions – these are all required to understand the true meaning of spoken communication. Children learn this skill from their first months as they look to their parents as their first playmates; they do this by learning to recognise facial expressions, happiness, laughter or frowning. Children will continue to become better at understanding what people are not saying as they play with family, friends and classmates. Peek-a-boo whilst changing faces with each “reveal” can help to familiarise your child with different facial expressions.
Children need to learn that there are limits and boundaries. Learning this through play can help children to regulate their own behaviour towards others and the world around them.
We are all concerned for children’s safety- especially when it comes to doing things that may result in injury. However, through play, children can push their own boundaries and take controlled risks. By building up the level of risk gradually children learn what they can do safely and what is too much; how fast to go, how far from home and what it feels like to fall over and get back up again.
Rough and tumble or play fighting is actually a good way for children to learn from their peers when things are fun, when enough is enough and the reactions and rules of engagement. The rules of a game teach children about following instructions, boundaries, self-control and the fairness of decisions.
Children love to explore new things, especially when playing. By using their natural curiosity as they explore the world around them children expand their minds – they start to learn why something has happened and what could be done differently to achieve different results next time.
As children explore and try new experiences they become more self-assured, learn about risks, and ultimately expand their minds, giving them the confidence to ask more questions of life generally. From exploring the local park to conducting experiments in the bath, children are testing out their physical and mental boundaries all the time too!
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