Play is an indispensable component necessary for the child development process. This has been recognized by the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights (UNHCR) and has been acknowledged as the right of every child. Play is essential because it allows children to employ the use of creativity and further advance their emotional, cognitive, physical strength, skill, and imagination. Furthermore, it is essential because it offers an environment for the healthy development of the brain. It is through this activity that children interact with the world around them from a young age. Therefore, play is essential for the physical, cognitive, and emotional development of the child.
The development trajectory of children is assisted by a competent and appropriate connection between the child and caring caregivers. According to Pursi, (2019), play can be defined as real work for children, and it allows children to learn skills in various areas such as communication, social-emotional, cognitive, and physical fitness. It is a natural form of stress reliever that helps children typically to confront their apprehensions and forget about their fears in a structured way. It allows for the connection between previous ideas and present investigations and primarily constitutes a learning process.
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Play is an integral part of the academic environment because it ensures that the school setting satisfies the cognitive, emotional, and social development of children. According to Skinner & Saxton (2019), even animals have their forms of play, and this should explain why it is essential among humans. The researchers posit that match must have some sort of adaptive value considering the amount of energy involved in playing. The feeling or desire to play is innately ingrained in every child's mind, and no one dictates to them the need to play. However, it is through this very process that children adapt to the language and the culture around them. Therefore, play is an essential component, pertinent for the wholesome development of the child.
The play combines creativity and imagination in building the child's emotional, physical, and cognitive strengths. Further, Skinner & Saxton (2019) posit that guided game offers strong support for social and academic learning. The researchers conducted research in which learning mechanism was tested between pre-schools that use child-centered and playful approaches against those that use less playful strategies of learning. The study found that students from schools whose learning approaches were more playful performed better compared to students from schools whose mechanisms of education were more formal and teacher-centered.
Play provides an avenue via which children master their world and in so doing gain the competence they need as well as the resilience to face future challenges. According to Verver, Vervloed, & Steenbergen, (2019) the little steps young children make early in life give them the satisfaction they need and builds in them the confidence to face the world around them. Children are generally enthusiastic about play due to their abilities to achieve what may seem to be minor goals. Through exploration, movement, imagination, and creativity, children learn the essentials of life and develop their psychomotor skills which become better as they grow.
Overall, as demonstrated in this essay, play is an essential component for the physical, intellectual, and emotive advancement of the child. Children under the age of two years are more likely to explore their environments in the presence of adults than when they are alone. Moreover, having caring caregivers around is an advantage for them as they quickly pick up cues from them due to their high levels of interest and engagement. Therefore, play is an essential component for an all-rounded growth trajectory of the child.
References
Pursi, A. (2019). Play in adult-child interaction: Institutional multi-party interaction and pedagogical practice in a toddler classroom. Learning, Culture, and Social Interaction, 21 (1), 136-150. doi.org/10.1016/j.lcsi.2019.02.014.
Skinner, E., & Saxton, E. (2019). The development of academic coping in children and youth: A comprehensive review and critique. Developmental Review, 53 (1), 100870.doi. 10.1177/0165025410384923
Verver, S., Vervloed, M., & Steenbergen, B. (2019). The use of augmented toys to facilitate play in school-aged children with visual impairments. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 85 (1), 70-81.doi. 10.1016/j.ridd.2018.11.006.
