Sarah Klima

12-2-2012
Mrs. Sypkens CHDV 110
The Importance of Play
Play is very important for the development of all hildren. !hen hildren are
playin" they are developin" very important skills# not $%st playin". Children at play
develop physially# emotionally# soially and o"nitively. &he importane of hildren's
play has al(ays )een reo"ni*ed )y early hildhood teahers )%t reently professionals
have )een a)le to identify play (ith o"nitive development as (ell# this (as reo"ni*ed
)y the +nited ,ations -eneral .ssem)ly in ,ovem)er 1/0/# they approved the ri"hts of
the hild# that asserts that every hild has the ri"ht to play and they need the opport%nity
to play 12eeney et al# 200/# p.2/34.
Play is important in s%pportin" o"nitive development in yo%n" hildren.
5Soiodramati play is si"nifiant to o"nitive development )ea%se it involves sym)ols
and the a)ility to manip%late those sym)ols# is the fo%ndation for learnin" later on6
12eeney et al# 200/# p.2/74. 8 have o)served this soiodramati play in hildren that
learly s%pports their o"nitive development. &here (ere three hildren playin" o%tside at
the kithen play set in their preshool. 9ne of the hildren st%k his head o%t thro%"h the
(indo( and asked the other hildren to order their food. 9ne of the )oys pretended to
p%ll %p in a ar and ordered a ham)%r"er. &he first )oy in the pretend drive thro%"h
(indo( t%rned to the little "irl and asked her to make the ham)%r"er for the %stomer#
and then told the )oy pretendin" to )e the %stomer# 58 need the money please.6 &hey
(ere s%pportin" their o"nitive development )y reenatin" an e:periene they have
o)served. Children develop their %nderstandin" of the (orld )y reenatin" (ith
playmates e:perienes they have o)served# they (ill alter this %nderstandin" )ased on the
response and ideas of their friends then they %se these ne( meanin"s as they e:periene
the real (orld. 8nformation is onstantly )ein" "athered or"ani*ed and %sed 12eeney et al#
200/# p.2/74.
Children in play s%pport their physial development as (ell. Children strive to
reah and manip%late o)$ets that interest them# they develop stren"th# stamina and the
skills they need to )e s%essf%l learners )est (ith their o(n vi"oro%s ativity. &hey learn
)est (hen all of their senses are operatin" and they are stron" and healthy 12eeney et al#
200/# p.2/;4. 8 have o)served hildren sho(in" they are developin" physially thro%"h
play. Children are developin" physially every time they are lim)in"# s(in"in" on
s(in"s# r%nnin"# $%mpin"# any physial ativity. 9ne afternoon on the preshool
play"ro%nd# a hild (as p%llin" another aro%nd the play "ro%nd in a (a"on# after irlin"
the play"ro%nd a fe( times they s(ithed spots. &hey (ere s%pportin" their physial
development )y )%ildin" their arm m%sles and )%ildin" their le" m%sles. 8 have
(athed the hildren all semester pratie p%mpin" their le"s on the s(in" set. &he
hildren (ho are on their (ay to kinder"arten have aomplished the task of makin"
themselves s(in" on the s(in"s (ith o%t needin" to )e p%shed. Some of these hildren
o%ld not do this at the )e"innin" of the semester.
Children need to develop a (ay to e:press their emotions and a (ay to (ork o%t
)ehaviors that (ill help them to have positive relationships (ith others. &he play that
)a)ies e:periene from their are"ivers sho(s them ho( to initiate play (ith others and
inreases their soial interation skills 12eeney et al# 200/# p.2/;4. .t shool# a little "irl
(as ridin" one of the )ikes aro%nd the o%tside play area. 9ne of the little )oys (anted to
ride the same )ike and asked her if he o%ld ride it# they deided that she (o%ld ride the
)ike aro%nd one more time and then it (o%ld )e his t%rn# so (hile he (as (aitin" he
played in the sand)o: area (ith some of the other hildren. !hen she (as done she "ot
off the )ike and (alked over to tell him she (as done. &hese hildren have learned ho(
to interat soially (ith others !hen hildren reah the a"e of fo%r or five they (ill have
learned (hat they need to have soial# ooperative relationships (ith their peers. 12eeney
et al# 200/# p.2/;-2/74. 8 have seen t(o other hildren in this sit%ation at differently.
&he preshool had "otten a ne( )ike# it had t(o seats so someone o%ld ride on the )ak
(hile someone else peddled the )ike. <very hild (anted a t%rn )ea%se it (as ne(.
&here (as one hild (ho had "one aro%nd on the )ike a fe( times and another hild (as
(aitin". She )e"an to ry )ea%se she (anted a t%rn. &he hild on the )ike said they (ere
not done on the )ike# and they )oth ame to me. &he ryin" hild said they (anted a t%rn
)%t did not ask the other hild. &hey solved their pro)lem (ith a little )it of ad%lt
"%idane. &hey ne:t day the same t(o hildren (ere in a similar sit%ation# )%t this time
the hild (ho had )een %pset the day )efore asked the hild if they o%ld have a t%rn the
ne:t time the )ike ame aro%nd# and the s(apped plaes. &hey (ere learnin" to (ork
ooperatively (ith eah other.
Play is a primary (ay that hildren e:press and (ork thro%"h their fears and
desires. Contemporary therapists still %se play as a (ay for helpin" hildren deal (ith
feelin"s from tra%mati and dist%r)in" sit%ations in their lives 12eeney et al# 200/# p.2/;4.
8 o)served a "irl (hose family 8 am lose (ith. She (as playin" in the home enter at
shool# her parents had )een %nder a lot of stress and had )een fi"htin" often. !hile
playin" in the home enter all (eek she (o%ld reenat some of the ar"%ments she
overheard at home. She (as a)le to e:press herself and deal (ith the stress of her parents
fi"htin" in her o(n (ay (hen she (as playin" and pretendin" in the home enter at
shool. &hro%"h this kind of play# she is a)le to develop emotionally. !hen hildren are
in play they are a)le to ontrol their (orld# they pratie skills that "ive them a sense of
mastery in their environment 12eeney et al# 200/# p.2/;4.
Children at play are not $%st playin"# they are developin" the skills they need to
)eome more skilled learners in the f%t%re. 8t is very important for early hildhood
ed%ators to %nderstand that play is neessary for yo%n" hildren to develop emotionally#
o"nitively# soially# and physially. Children's play sho%ld )e approahed (ith
appreiation 12eeney et al# 200/# p.2//4. 8 )elieve that every type of play sho%ld )e
s%pported )y early hildhood ed%ators and )y those that are raisin" hildren.
Christensen# D. 2eeney# S. Moravik# <. 1200/4.
!orks ited
!ho .m 8 in the =ives of Children> 10
th
<d.4. +pper Saddle ?iver# ,e( @ersey. Pearson
<d%ation# 8n