Why play with your child?

Why play with your child? Because it’s fun. And, play is fundamental to natural growth and development. It is how young children learn. Active, imaginative play provides a foundation for the highest potential in academic and creative achievement throughout school years and life.

Once recognized as folk wisdom, it continues to be verified by neuroscience. Current brain research indicates that if a child is positively engaged physically and emotionally (play), that experience is much more likely to be retained in the long-term memory (learning).

Sadly, however, skill and drill training, over-use of electronic toys and media, and the busy-ness of life in the 21st century are often usurping time and quality of play opportunities. Yet watching a child absorbed in play is a window to how the young explore and integrate their environment and acquire new knowledge.

What are children fundamentally doing as they play? Take a step back and look through a “macrsocope” as they explore, interact, claim and expand their world.

In play they are:

• Flexing physical and creative muscles, and testing new skills.

• Learning self-awareness and developing self-confidence.

• Increasing communication and cooperation skills while learning how to get along with others.

• Building imagination, creativity and problem-solving skills.

These skills provide the foundation for any future learning and success, providing access and choice in life. And they are best developed at an early age through active and imaginative play.

A child at play is an explorer in the truest sense. For a baby, this is sensory discovery of his own fingers and toes, and the sound of a loving voice. Infants naturally imitate and respond to the repetition of activities and words like a mirror; the more and kinder, the better. What infant has ever tired of peek-a-boo played endlessly for weeks or months?

Together with responsive love, constant care and feeding, these playfully repetitious activities are like a pre-primer for the concept of cause and effect. The parent is indeed a child’s first and most important teacher as she builds the foundation of trust and confidence for all future endeavors.

As children learn to walk and talk their “world” grows exponentially. The 3nto 6nyear- old is a delight to observe as she investigates new worlds daily.

Confidence and competence grow as the youngster discovers that she can do things independently. Through this self-confidence, as well as critically important social interaction with adults and other children, we observe learning at its optimal and most natural growth rate — absorbed powerfully through the child’s play.

Besides sharing the fun of play with your child, you will also be deepening the bond of shared joy and relationship. When you set aside time, even 20 to 30 minutes in your busy day or week to provide undivided attention (no phones, TV or other interruptions), you will gain hidden insights to their potential, strengths, interests and even worries.

Imaginative (non-competitive) play is a stress reliever. There is no self-consciousness, and risks may be taken without embarrassment as kids practice and learn about life. When you play, you use your imagination creatively and as you relax, stress disappears. This works for adults too.

The young child is concrete and kinesthetic, learning best by manipulating to find out how things work. Children “understand” best when they can re-experience an event through play.

This “hands-on” learning style is true for physical objects such as blocks or trucks, as well as for ideas. Whatever a child observes, she absorbs like a sponge. This happens continually. It is quite natural to ‘try on’ observed roles. This is how they filter and understand activities and emotions.

When a child sees daddy, store clerk or ninja they re-play it exactly with dolls, puppets, action figures or other playmates. Then they are able to integrate these ideas and feelings into their repertoire of how things, people and relationships work.

Scenes are replayed until they make sense. A problem played repeatedly perhaps with variation, finds resolution in play. This occurs whether constructing a bridge out of blocks or play with two dolls fighting over the same dress.

Play provides tremendous opportunity for developing problem-solving skills. As an adult, it is best not to intervene too quickly with solutions. Rather, restate in words what the child or “toys” are doing or feeling. If you have an assigned role, stay in character and express those feelings. “I like it (or don’t) when …” Or wonder aloud how a solution might occur — and wait. Trust in the child to problem-solve and discover a solution.

In the safe and creative environment of play, children can practice various roles without a grade, judgment or self-consciousness. We empower children to use their own initiative to negotiate conflict and discover their own solutions. Having had good models and guidance, we trust that they can. So play. In the words of Walt Disney, “Imagine, believe, achieve.”

In two future articles, I will share tips to maximize the fun and learning in play and how play can build self-confidence, communication and other skills specific to academic success. For a brochure or more info on why Play is Fundamental, call 652-0021.

For more ideas, information and resources on how to understand, help and enrich your child’s development, call Anna Peters, Kaua‘i Good Beginnings coordinator at 632-2114 or Cathy Shanks, PATCH, at 246-0622.

• This article is provided by the Kaua’i Good Beginnings Council Public Awareness Committee comprised of Phyllis Kunimura, Kaua’i Independent Daycare Services School; Cathy Shanks, PATCH; Nancy Golden, Nana’s House; Margaret Smith, Healthy Start, Dept. of Education; Bridget Arume and Maureen Fodale and Anna Peters.

Maureen Fodale is the Kaua‘i District Resource Teacher for PSAP (Primary School Adjustment Project) with Playrooms providing social-emotional well-being and school adjustment support in all elementary schools. PSAP is an affiliate of the national Primary Project of the Children’s Institute, located in Rochester, N.Y.