Is it Work or Play?

 
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Human beings are born to play.  It used to be accepted that young children needed time to play.  Just a few generations ago in the United States most children played until they went to kindergarten, and even in kindergarten they spent most of the time playing!  Yet nowadays play is not so easy to come by for young children.

This is certainly true in many preschool and kindergarten programs where free playtime has either been eliminated or reduced.  Direct instruction in reading and writing has taken the place of play.

However, decades of research is showing that play is vital to the future success – both emotionally and academically – of children.  As Joseph Chilton Pearce, noted author and educator about human and child development states, “Play is the most serious undertaking in a child’s life.  Play is the most serious activity in their life because they're literally building their construction of knowledge of the world and of themselves, laying down all the foundations for the later forms of intelligence.”

An excerpt from a recent article by Joan Almon, the Coordinator of the U.S. branch of the Alliance for Childhood eloquently expresses the importance of play for a young child:

“Creative play is like a spring that bubbles up from deep within a child.  It is refreshing and enlivening.  It is a natural part of the make-up of every healthy child.  The child’s love of learning is intimately linked with a zest for play.  Whether children are working on new physical skills, social relations, or cognitive content, they approach life with a playful spirit.  As a friend said of her eight-month-old recently, ‘It just seems that she’s working all the time.’  But is it work or play?  In childhood there is no distinction.”

The Alliance for Childhood does a great job of explaining some of the research-based benefits of play for a child.  These include:

• Academics:  There is a close link between play and healthy cognitive growth.  It lays the foundation for later academic success in reading and writing.  It provides hands-on experiences with real-life materials that help children develop abstract scientific and mathematical concepts.  Play is critical for the development of imagination and creative problem-solving skills.

• Physical Development:  The rough and tumble of active play facilitates children's sensorimotor development.

• Social and Emotional Learning:  Research suggests that social make-believe play is related to increases in cooperation, empathy, impulse control, reduced aggression, and better overall emotional and social health.

• Sheer Joy:  Experts in child development say that plenty of time for childhood play is one of the key factors leading to happiness in adulthood.

Thus, for parents who are deciding upon a preschool or kindergarten program for their child, I suggest that they spend some time observing their child – what does their child most enjoy doing?  When does their child seem happiest and the most free?  If you find a program that you like but wish that there was more time for free play, you can request this and see what kind of response you receive.  It may be that the teachers would welcome more time for play for the children.

Marla Nierenberg Hanan lives in Hopewell, NJ.  She works with families to help them cultivate a life of joy and connection.  Marla teaches classes and works privately with families.  To read her blog and find out about her current classes visit www.marlahanan.com.