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| |    Play Teaches Your Child--And You by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. reviewed by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P. What play teaches children Deeper meanings Playing with language What play teaches you Play is one of the main ways children learn about the world. Play, by definition, is something children do because they want to, not because they have to. When a 4-month-old infant makes "raspberry" sounds and laughs, that is play. When he waves his hand in front of his face and stares at it very seriously, then waves the hand again, that is also play. Stacking cups, banging pots, tossing food off the high-chair tray are all examples of play. Each of these activities teaches the infant important things. What play teaches children What children learn by playing depends on their developmental level. During the first year of life, children learn that things continue to exist over time, even if they are out of sight. (It's easy to hide a toy from a 6 month old. As soon as it's out of sight, she forgets it's there. Now try it with a 12 month old. Not so easy!) They also begin to discover cause and effect: Things they drop fall down to the floor; hitting a spoon on a pan makes a noise. See: Brain Development Deeper meanings Over the next year, up to about 18 to 24 months, children are deepening these lessons. For example, they learn about indirect causes (winding up a toy to make it go; using a stick to get a toy beyond reach). They also learn how to figure out how to find a toy that has been hidden in one place, and then moved to another. Basic ideas about numbers (less, more, and what happens when you add things or take them away) are also developing. Play is also a main way that children learn about the grown-up world. Toddlers mimic their parent's activities, for example dusting, vacuuming, reading, talking on the telephone, or changing diapers and putting baby to bed. At 1 year, you might see your baby chatter into a toy phone. At 2 years, she might have long pretend conversations, including many words you can recognize. What starts out as simple, crude imitation becomes more and more sophisticated as children first play, then revise their play actions to be better and better reflections of reality. Playing with language Once children really begin to master language, around 18 to 30 months, you can see a huge change in their play. They begin to use words to narrate their actions. As 2-year-olds they enjoy playing along side of other children, but only play with another child they know very well, for example a sibling. As preschoolers, they create whole scripts in their imagination, and can cooperate with other children to create pretend families. Play becomes a main way children learn to get along with each other; they have to learn to stand up for what they want, but also be flexible and give in, in order to keep the game going. Play continues to be important for school age children and adolescents. It teaches them about rules, not only how to follow them, but how to make them, and how to change them. They learn about competition. Play also becomes a main way that children can find out what they are especially good at, and what they really enjoy. In that way, play adds to the child's developing identity. What play teaches you Play is also important because of what it can teach you about your child. If you want to know what she's thinking about, what interests or bothers her at any given moment, watch what she does when she plays. Developmental specialists know that play is also a good reflection of a child's developmental level. The more complex, imaginative, and creative the play, the more complex are the child's thought processes. The more you understand about play, the more you understand a very important part of your child. This understanding can also make your experience of parenting more interesting, and richer.
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