In “Make Time for Free Time”, retrieved from http://www1.cyfernet.org/hotnew/04-08-FreePlay.html,
the writer describes research supporting unstructured playtime for children.
Play is described as “equally important as other basic
drives of sleep, rest and food”.
The article notes that all young mammals play. Research is showing the many ways play helps the brain
develop. Benefits also include
helping develop skills such as social skills/getting along with others, problem
solving, making decisions, and thinking skills.
Some more from the article:
“A
clinical report in the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) cited
play as the right of every child, as defined by the United Nations Commission
on Human Rights. The report underlined the importance of play for normal child
development….”
…..”Ironically,
children have more toys than ever before. But the toys children enjoy today are
quite different than in pre-television days. Until the 1950s, toys were simple
– balls, baby dolls, teddy bears, chalk. Simpler toys required creative input
from the child – imagination. Since toy companies began marketing directly to
children in about 1955, toys come fully scripted – dolls with well known
“personalities”, hand-held computers that lead the child through mazes
developed in a lab, and educational games with right and wrong answers.”
Read more.......
…“The AAP urges its members to educate
parents about the benefits of play and to make time for it. They advise that
pediatricians should encourage parents to:
- Allow a large proportion of play to be
child-driven, rather than adult-directed.
- Share unscheduled, spontaneous time with
their children every day.
- Encourage the use of “true toys” such as
blocks and dolls
- Avoid spending large chunks of time
shuttling children between numerous activities.”
For
the whole article, check out http://www1.cyfernet.org/hotnew/04-08-FreePlay.html
While the holiday break gives us a chance to play, some
articles indicate that play is just as helpful while school is in session. “Kids
pay more attention to academic tasks when they are given frequent, brief opportunities
for free play.” (http://www.parentingscience.com/benefits-of-play.html). As a
parent, I wish I had allowed for more breaks during homework time, instead of
being so serious and focusing on getting it done. Things may have ultimately gone more smoothly.
The National Institute of Play (http://nifplay.org/index.html), has
categorized different levels of play.
These categories may help us come up with ideas in fostering play:
Body play and
movement: skipping around,
dancing, climbing a tree, experimenting with a hula hoop
Object play: items you can explore and manipulate-toys
and other objects: rocks, other
household items; duct tape is a great thing to play around with
Social Play: interacting
with others in play situations, from playing alongside someone else to rough
and tumble wrestling around
Imaginative and
pretend play: pretending to be
an animal or a chef in a kitchen
Storytelling-Narrative
play: reading, puppets
Creative play: make a house out of a box
See here for another way to categorize play.
It is truly amazing to see what creative activities children
can come up with in their free playtime.
Enjoy your play time this holiday season!
For more research, see this article
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