The Importance of Free Play
Playing with your Child Develops Bonding and builds Creativity
Children develop and grow as they experience a variety of activities and as they interact with the important adults in their life.
Playing with your child provides a wonderful opportunity for interaction. Playing helps language development while providing a good base for learning in later years. While families’ lifestyles are getting busier and formal learning activities for children are increasing, the opportunity for children to have long hours of unhindered play are being lost.
Free Play Important for Children's Growth
Many studies show that children need lots of time just playing if they are to grow up to be all rounded, creative people. A recent study from the American Academy of Paediatrics says play is essential to development as it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social and emotional wellbeing of children and youth.
“Play also offers an ideal opportunity for parents to engage fully with their children. But despite the benefits derived from play for both children and parents, time for free play has been markedly reduced for some children.” The report talks about a variety of factors that have reduced play, including a hurried lifestyle, changes in family structure, and increased attention to academics and enrichment activities at the expense of or free child-centred play.
Get to Know your Child through Play
Play is your child’s main ‘job’ in the early years of life. Go to ‘work’ with your child while having fun with activities and games that help him learn new things. At the same time you will be building a strong relationship with your child. There are lots of imaginative activities you can do with your children at home. Toys that encourage your child’s creativity and imagination are inexpensive and can often be improvised from what you already own.
Blocks
Blocks are among the most versatile of toys. They can be made into towers, roads for cars to drive along, farms, houses, towns, or anything else the child imagines. Have a range of toys available to use with the blocks:
- Cars and other toy vehicles
- Animals
- People and dolls
- Cardboard boxes
- Mats printed with cities, roads or farms can be added in
Dress Up Clothes
Aim to have a variety of clothes and keep them accessible in a suitcase or other container:
- Cloaks made of different materials can be used in a variety of imaginative ways.
- Adult shirts and t-shirts, especially striped ones, can be used for dressing up as a pirate or other character.
- Pirate eye patches can be made from black cardboard with elastic to stretch it around the head.
- Hats of different sorts
- Crowns
- Shoes
Cardboard Boxes
Boxes can be used to make:
- Shops
- Cars – pull your child around a circuit in his decorated car
- Houses or hideouts
- Castles
Children’s Art Materials
- Blank paper with crayons for younger children
- Coloured pencils and felt tips for older children.
- Large pieces of newsprint or cardboard for collage.
Cherish the time you have together with your child. As you encourage free play you will be helping to develop your child's imagination and will be laying the foundation for real life learning. Allowing your child to develop at his or her own pace, without hothouse pressure, will reap the amazing reward of a growing person who is eager to experience all the richness life has to offer.
