Play Experiences
Playing is among the most important things children think about. Play is essential to the lives of children and adults because it is not only vital for enjoyment, but also crucial for physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development (Goncu & Gaskins, 2012). With the dynamics and importance of playing for both children and adults, alike, this paper discusses different play experiences and their benefits during my childhood, adolescent, and adulthood.
Pretend Play
Fig 1. Pretend play Adapted from Kelly (2015).
Children learn through doing and imagination. The practice theory by Karl Groos supports pretend play since it argues that children play certain games to practice later responsibilities and roles in life (Nicolini, 2012). When children engage in dramatic play, they experiment emotional and social aspects of life. Such activities enabled me to learn how to share responsibility, how to take turns, and to solve problems. Pretend play enables children to learn good morals (Kelly, 2015). Additionally, a teacher may be in a good position to use games to teach children good communication skills, improve their thinking abilities, and nurture their imagination.
Manipulative Play
Fig 2. Child autism play therapy with blocks adapted from Autismhub (2016).
Manipulative play involves refining and practicing motor skills. This kind of play enhances hand-eye co-ordination and physical dexterity. Through playing such games with others, I was able to exercise control of different body parts. This play enables children to understand what goes on in the real world and how to go about different tasks. Puzzle solving among other challenging games also improve the thinking capability thus leading to brain development (Autismhub, 2016). The cognitive theory by Lev Vygotsky shows that children use their minds to find solutions as explained in this play (Vygotsky, 1967). Therefore, incorporating make-believe play, which transcends to manipulative play helps in the psychological development of a child. Teachers correct children whenever they go wrong to ensure that they gain appropriate skills.
Rough and Tumble play
Fig 3. Chasing adapted from Topics Online Magazine (2017).
Rumble-and-tumble-play is not only exercised by human beings but also animals. The play allows people to explore different social boundaries and to understand how certain situations feel. The surplus energy theory best fits in this play because people engage in such strenuous activities to release extra energy (Aghlara & Tamjid, 2011). Teachers have to ensure that they give students a break so that they can go and release the energy gained through sitting. Tag and chase is a strenuous game which consumes a lot of energy. I play the game to challenge myself and to understand my capabilities. The game also helps individuals to interact with others from different backgrounds thus learning from them.
Risky Play
Fig 4. Risky Play is Essential for Development adapted from Canadian Public Health Association (2016).
It is natural for adolescents to engage in risky games to seek opportunities for things that challenge them. Risky play is both exciting and thrilling but it is important to note that such activities involve physical injuries, and provide people with testing limits, challenges, learning about risky activities, and exploring boundaries. The arousal modulation theory by Daniel best explains why children play arouses their nervous systems through play (Talmi, 2013). When we take risks, they learn new activities such as riding bikes, walking, running, and climbing among others. Teachers play a major role in teaching students new skills and passing knowledge to them (Canadian Public Health Association, 2016). Engaging in risky activities helped me to learn how to skate, dance, and swim, which are now my hobbies. I also learnt to become persistence because trying each and every time leads to learning and perfection.
Music and Dance Movement
Fig 5. Music and movement Dance Drama adapted from Musicandmovement (2017).
Everybody generally loves music whether it is soothing and soft. Adults feel music both emotionally and physically hence influencing their actions. The recreation theory by Moritz Lazarus play leads to restoration of lost energy (Nadel, 2013). Dancing is a physical activity that helps children to restore energy. We learn certain activities such as playing musical instruments, swimming, stirring, and ironing among others (Musicandmovement, 2017).Teachers in this play instruct students on proper ways of dancing to enhance coordination and teamwork. Through such activities, I have learnt how to solve problems because I encounter various challenges. I have also learnt about the importance of teamwork because some activities such as singing and dancing involve a group of individuals.
Conclusion
Play is essential in the development of children, teenagers and adults. Most of the things people carry out in a mature stage are as a result of the type of activities they engaged in while they were still young. It, therefore, means that play enhances physical, emotional, and social development. People learn different skills are useful in life and also acquire knowledge about different topics. Some of the benefits of play include walking, socializing, teamwork, problem-solving skills, persistence, and perseverance among others.
References
Aghlara, L., & Tamjid, N. H. (2011). The effect of digital games on Iranian children’s vocabulary retention in foreign language acquisition. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 29, 552-560.
Autismhub. (2016, October, 23). Autism Play Therapy – Help to Build Social & Communication Skills. Retrieved from http://autismhub.co.uk/autism-spectrum-disorder-play-skills-build-social-communication-skills-together-self-esteem-play/
Canadian Public Health Association. (2016). Risky play is essential for child development. Retrieved from http://www.cpha.ca/en/about/digest/40-1/3.aspx
Goncu, A., & Gaskins, S. (2012). Play and development: Evolutionary, sociocultural, and functional perspectives. London: Psychology Press.
Kelly, R. B. (2015, May 22). Study Claims Pretend Play Is Not Crucial To Child’s Development. The Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/08/29/study-claims-pretend-play-is-not-crucial-to-child-s-development_n_7374872.html
Musicandmovement(2017).Music and Movement dance-drama-music, classes for babies and children in the Norfolk area. Musicandmovement.org.uk. Retrieved from http://www.musicandmovement.org.uk/
Nadel, S. F. (2013). The theory of social structure. Routledge.
Nicolini, D. (2012). Practice theory, work, and organization: An introduction. Oxford university press.
Talmi, D. (2013). Enhanced emotional memory cognitive and neural mechanisms. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 22(6), 430-436.
Topic online Magazine (2017). Traditional children’s games: Tag and chase. Retrieved from http://www.topics-mag.com/edition11/games-tag.htm
Vygotsky, L. S. (1967). Play and its role in the mental development of the child. Soviet Psychology, 5(3), 6-18.
