The power of play: How fun helps kids thrive
By Amy Potter | Presented by Children's Panadol|
Kids love to play. Whether it's dressing up for a make-believe session, building a tower with blocks or bouncing a ball outside, they seem to have an innate urge to let loose and have fun. But did you know that play is also a vital part of how children make sense of the world around them??
Not only can play encourage kids' to develop social skills and build their confidence, it also assists their learning and development. Here's how.
It helps boost kids' social skills
Play allows children to interact, communicate and negotiate with one another through activities such as role-playing, making up rules for a game or sharing toys. And it's not just their speech that benefits, says preschool educational leader Camille Aguilar.
"The only way children can learn social skills is to provide them ample opportunities to practise จC a great way is to let them play," she says. "When children engage in play, they develop the ability to observe each other's verbal and non-verbal cues, express their own ideas and feelings, listen to what others are saying, work together and negotiate roles, while also reaching a compromise when necessary."
It builds confidence
Ever noticed that proud, satisfied feeling your little one gets from something as simple as completing a puzzle, or scaling a climbing frame single-handedly? That's because play helps children learn a sense of competence, encourages healthy risk-taking and enables them to express their ideas, thoughts and emotions.
"Children's confidence starts when they feel safe, secure and supported จC that's when they bloom," says Camille. "Through play, children begin to experiment, explore, make decisions, express their interest and take risks."
It teaches them resilience
Through play and hands-on activities, children have a safe space to learn about their environment. And, when things don't always go to plan จC?a fort falls down, or they have to be the villain instead of the hero จC they can work through their frustration and try again. That trial and error helps them to build up resilience and understand how to learn from their mistakes or certain circumstances.
"When children play with others, they realise other people have their own perspectives จC and it's not always about what they themselves want," explains Camille. "Through play, children need to listen to others to negotiate and reach a compromise, plus build resilience when things don't go as planned."
It gives their brains a workout
Play isn't just fun จC it also sets kids up for success at school and beyond. Whether they're playing solo or with their buddies, children are learning invaluable cognitive skills, such as problem-solving, concentration, listening, thinking and reasoning.
"These skills allow children to make sense of their world," says Camille.
It's good for their emotional development
Ensuring your little one has ample time to play will help your child's emotional skills develop and their personality blossom. Through playing with other children, they'll be exploring their feelings, and learning self-discipline, self-regulation and empathy, plus discovering their own interests they wish to pursue.
"Some children are drawn to quiet activities, while others prefer to engage in more boisterous types of play, although as they grow their preferred type of play might change," says Camille. "Play also develops children's leadership skills จC some are leaders and some are followers, and through play these roles quite often interchange."
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Always read and follow the directions for use. Incorrect use could be harmful. Seek medical advice for children under 3 months.
