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Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning
Fred Rogers
It is no secret that playing is an essential part of childhood. From the moment my kids are awake, it is time to play. My oldest is just now reaching a point where she enjoys a few silent moments, but my other three little ones are active as soon as their eyes open for the day. But what if there was more than what meets the eye about play? I will show you 5 important reasons play is a cornerstone of learning.
Before we dive into the reasons, we should discuss what play is and what it looks like for a child. There isn’t a solid definition of play, but it is child led and enthusiastically joyful. The child initiates play and also ends it whenever they are ready. Adults do not structure free play of a child. Sports and other extracurriculars are not play. Play is imaginative, creative, and unstructured, except by the child.
Playing Increases Curiosity
Have you ever wondered why a baby will do the same thing over and over again with the same results? The world is entirely new to them and they are curious about the cause and effect of things. This is curiosity. Even as kids grow older, they grow more curious about wider subjects and will use play as a means to explore these concepts.
They are curious about why the ball falls down from the sky when they throw it into the air. This leads to a science lesson on gravity. They are curious about what will happen if they turn into a beaver and create a dam in their backyard creek. This is a wonderful lesson on ecosystems. When they are experiencing the world through play it will open the door to many questions which present them with a wonderful opportunity to learn.
Play introduces new obstacles for children to overcome furthering their curiosity in hopes to find a solution. Just place a basket of loose materials in front of a child and see what curiosity drives them to build. Curiosity is the savior of a bored child and there is no better way to nurture it than through play.
Playing Builds Executive Function of the Brain
Probably the strongest argument for playing is the physical benefits it bestows on the brain. Everyone loves to hyper-focus on nutrition and its role, which is extremely important, but it is only one facet of development. Playing is another important aspect of brain development as it helps to build the prefrontal cortex. The area of the prefrontal cortex is responsible for executive functioning skills like reasoning, self control, planning, following directions, and staying focused. All of these skills are related to school and learning.
Executive functioning skills are essential to our success in life as adults. We must be able to reason and control our actions. We must be able to follow directions and plan for our future. These are skills that are not quite developed in children but can be honed through play. Even the American Academy of Pediatrics has researched this quite thoroughly and you can find that information in their article about the power of play.
Most of the cornerstones that we are discussing right now are tied to executive functioning. These are the skills that cannot be taught in a classroom, but must develop in children on their own and through peers with play. When children are taking turns on a slide, deciding their next move in a board game, or settling their arguments on a playground, they are developing the skills they need to carry them on through life.
Playing Builds a Child’s Confidence
Do you know that wonderful feeling when you accomplish something difficult? I see that in my oldest daughter’s face whenever she climbs to the top of the adult obstacle course at our local trampoline park. There is nothing to boost confidence like completing a challenge and play provides plenty. Just as animals play to practice their adult skills, children also are honing the skills they will need as adults. As they get more experience, they will gain confidence in these skills.
There are plenty of opportunities to build confidence when playing with other children. Taking charge to pick out a game, settling disputes, and playing heroic and strong characters give them a confidence boost.
Play encourages children to experiment with new concepts and ideas. As they are actively engaging with their role, they are learning vital skills of self assertion and learning more about themselves. Time to know oneself is important for anyone to gain confidence and self approval.
A confident child will be more likely to immerse themselves in the classroom. They will be ready and willing to learn new and challenging concepts. With confidence, a child will face the challenges of learning head on and be resilient.
Play Helps Manage Stress
If you look around at children today, they are often chauffeured from one structured activity to another. They wake up early to attend school for most of their day and then are taken to different extracurricular activities after. Sports, dance, and music lessons can be extremely fun, but they require focus. After a long day of focusing on learning, it can be stressful to have to end the day with more learning, which already tends to happen with homework anyway.
The Statistics of Childhood Depression and Anxiety
Our society is showing signs that kids are not playing enough and are holding onto a lot of stress. Between 2016 and 2019 the rates of depression and anxiety in children increased. It increased 27% for anxiety and 24% for depression according to research. These are striking numbers! That is a dramatic increase from a number that was already high to begin with. A healthy amount of stress is an important part of growing and developing, but certainly not to the point a child has depression or anxiety.
How Play Mitigates Stress
When a child is playing, they are enveloped in the safety of imagination. We are, after all, beings who love a good story. When children are playing imaginative games, they are writing the story. It gives them a semblance of control. When they are sharing a laugh with their friends, they are decreasing their stress levels. The same reasons it is important as an adult to pursue hobbies and relaxation is why it is important for children to play.
When children are allowed the opportunity to manage their stress through play, they will be much more capable of paying attention and learning in the classroom. They can perform better overall, and will be more willing to tackle new tasks assigned to them. They become resilient. If stress erodes learning performance, then playing is the antidote.
Playing Builds Social Skills
Humans are social animals and we rely on each other for support and learning. Many animals, humans included, rely on playing as children to sharpen their social skills needed in adulthood. To be able to learn from others, we must be able to compromise, negotiate, and respect one another. Everyone will bring value to the group in some form and learning can be done from the strengths of others.
When children are playing with others, they are enthusiastically building these important social skills. Through play, children get the opportunity to choose teams based on abilities, negotiate which game to play, and settle disputes among themselves.
When you know who you want on your team, you are able to choose people who bring value to what you need. This is valuable in teaching how to surround yourself with individuals to learn from. Negotiating teaches interpersonal skills to children which will be beneficial in life. Settling disputes allows children the opportunity to use reason and logic to solve problems. Exercising these social skills allow for more flow in the classroom and a welcoming environment in which children can safely learn.
Whenever children sharpen their social skills, there is less bullying and more cooperation. Children given adequate time to play will be less aggressive, more receptive, and overall happier to get along with others. This keeps the environment suitable for learning.
In Conclusion
The 5 important reasons play is a cornerstone for learning that is discussed here is just the beginning. There is vast research that has already been done supporting the argument for play and more is currently being studied. It is no secret that play is an essential part of the life of a child, but it is often overlooked in favor of schooling. If more attention is given to the benefits of playing in regards to learning, I think there can be a shift in our educational paradigm. If the goal of education is to produce lifelong learners, we should start with a foundation of play.
We are structuring our days in our home to include hours of endless free play. Through this, my children have built confidence and resiliency. Different games offer different opportunities and skills. Some may offer the chance to hone reading or math skills, others for financial and business skills.
Adventurous Play
We are very keen to take the concept of free play out on our many adventures. For us, adventuring offers a fresh perspective on playing. The new sights and sensory experiences are unique to the activity we are doing. Whether we are hiking and exploring the woods or visiting the Fairbanks Children’s Museum, every adventure is an opportunity to develop our learning skills through play. If you need more convincing you should check out my 6 Inspiring Reasons to Adventure with Your Kids.
It is my hope that this article inspires parents to encourage free play for their children. We are the voice for our children. We have the power to free their time for the important things in life like play. Where is your child’s favorite place to play? What is something you do together to bond? I would like to know! We learn and grow together. Leave a comment on how play is fostering learning skills for your own children.
You amaze me and are so right about this, such a great Mom and spouse to Austin…
Thank you! I am definitely a strong supporter of play! I strive to be the best mama and wife that I can be. I am far from perfect, but I love my family wholeheartedly.
I absolutely love this and agree.
I am so encouraged by this insight into how you mother! It helps me to feel not so alone in this mindset. I want to build leaders, warriors, and happy men. I think free play is key. It’s hard to express that to most ppl when generally speaking most women that I have spoken with see it differently. I love that you are so boldly advocating for them! You are a great mother!
You and I have always seen eye to eye with children being able to play 🙂 I have always greatly enjoyed our conversations because you are right, many parents see it differently. I think playfulness is important, even as an adult. Everything you are wanting for your boys definitely shows. I can see they are happy boys who will achieve the things you want for them. Thank you for your compliment. We are great mothers together, supporting one another on this journey!
Very well written and inspiring. Play is so important to learning for children. I wish our public school systems put more focus on the play-learning aspect.
Thank you! I wish public schools allowed for play like they used to also. Recess used to be such a vital part of the school day. Even whenever I was in Elementary school, it felt like we had an hour long recess. It has been dramatically shortened to just a few minutes a day and I think it is showing at the rates of childhood physical and mental illnesses. The research advocates for more play, so hopefully our educational system will keep up.