Play is of great importance for children’s development. Although children have always played, the ability to play is not innate. Children learn to play through interaction with other children and adults. As parents, it is necessary that you are good at playing with your child from the beginning. Their ability to play can then be carried on in their everyday life in the daycare institution, and play contributes to both the social, physical, cognitive and emotional well-being of children.
Engagement in children’s play also increases children’s involvement in the play. The environment is also important for the children’s play, and it is important to be able to play well both inside and outside, for example on natural playgrounds, where the child can interact with natural materials.
In fact, play is so important for your child’s health that it has been recognized as a right of every child. The Kompan focuses on healthcare reform which is important when advocating for the importance of play for every child no matter what background they come from. But why is playing so important for your child’s health? In the article below, you can read about 5 reasons why playing is important for your child’s health.
Important for the child’s development
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Children develop both imaginations and thinking when playing. When the child plays, it uses real-world things as tools to hold on to the idea of something that exists only in the imagination. Children have an innate desire to explore the world around them and play can help make reality easier to understand. Children often imitate each other in the same play. This helps to develop their ability to understand their surroundings and they learn to understand how other children function.
As the child gets older, outdoor play, in particular, is good for their development. Children are more physically active when they play in a natural environment, and their motor skills will develop significantly when playing in different environments.
Play is important for social development
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Play is important for many aspects of a child’s development, but it is especially important for your child’s social development. It is through play that the child learns how to communicate and interact with other people. Throughout life, we are going to meet and interact with many different people from many different places, and it is important to be able to have a basic understanding of social expectations and rules when we meet these people. Being able to interact with many different people and read social situations can be learned early on in life through play. When children play with each other, they learn to cooperate and to share thoughts and ideas with each other.
Besides this, they learn to listen to each other’s wants and needs and they learn to compromise. Therefore you shouldn’t underestimate the importance of play because your child will develop many social skills that are going to be very useful later on in life, when the child grows up.
Play creates personality
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It is healthy for your child to play and invent themselves. It helps to build the child’s personality and helps the child to develop socially, emotionally and intellectually. It is also healthy for your child to get bored as it can make them want to improvise and play by themselves. It is in interaction with the environment that children develop their personality, and in-play an insight and experience is created, which is the child’s beginning in the development of the personality and the social interaction. Play is very important, as play is the child’s path to developing self-determination.
In the play, children experience essential aspects of being human. Through play, the child develops basic prerequisites for being able to be a competent and active participant in the world. It is important to have an understanding of the world that surrounds us, and play helps children figure out what kind of person they want to be in the world. Through play, children learn how to make their own decisions, set boundaries for themselves and create a personality.
Play can create stronger bonds between parents and children
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Throughout life, it is probably every child’s wish to have a good relationship with their parents as well as it is every parents’ wish to have a strong bond to their children. No matter what background you come from, it is important to focus on building a strong bond between you and your child. Nowadays, many people are so busy all the time, and many parents have a hard time balancing their work-life with family life. With many people being so busy, they don’t always prioritize playing with their children because they don’t believe they have time for it.
But actually, it is very important that you prioritize quality time with your child where you play together. As parents, it is necessary that you play with your child from the very beginning because it will create a stronger bond between you and your child which will be beneficial for both you and your child later on in life.
Play reduces risks of obesity, fear and anxiety
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It is every parents’ wish that their child will grow up being strong and healthy, both mentally and physically. This way, there is a greater chance that your child will live longer. When children play, they will most likely develop some healthy habits, and they will be a lot more active.
Therefore play will reduce risks of childhood obesity which is important to avoid because it can result in challenges later on, both physically and socially. It is not only important that your child is healthy in a physical way, it is also important for your child to have strong mental health. Play reduces the risks of fear and anxiety. Play is a natural stress reliever that can help relieve feelings of fear and anxiety. If your child struggles with some of these mental issues, it is important to prioritize play.