The play is so simple and yet so complex!
It is true that we as adults take play as a very plain, mundane and a routine thing but fail to understand its far-reaching and deep impact on our kids.
One of the most admired and brilliant scientists of Modern Age, Albert Einstein said, “Play is the highest form of research”.
Play is as impulsive to kids as eating, breathing or sleeping to humans. It is through play that children acquire real-life skills of reasoning, planning, organizing, team-work, patience, dexterity, creativity and emotional intelligence which will be the much needed 21st Century Skills.
Well, this data is also backed by Science which says that Play helps in secreting certain chemicals in your brain which invariably enhances your learning capacity and that in turn raises your confidence and self-esteem. So it is Play which prepares the brain for its major role in our lives and even in school. Therefore, it won’t be wrong to say that Play is to the Brain what a Fertilizer is to the Crop.
Dr Maria Montessori said, “Play is the work of the child”. Play is definitely serious business for kids. In fact, research points out that adults who may have been deprived of play in their childhood may have high chances of developing psychological and other kinds of disorders.
It is amusing that we as a society have reached a stage where the importance of something so natural and simple as play needs to be reinforced. Generation Z should be encouraged for more outdoor play and play-based learning than for gadgets and screen-time. It is through conflicts and resolutions and bruises on the playground that our children will learn to solve problems. They will develop the much needed emotional strength, accept failures and be more prepared to face the real challenges of life. The classroom learning may not facilitate all this.
In this modern era of technological advancements and feats, are we taking ourselves and our lives too seriously? Where is the joy without a little bit of playfulness? After all, this world is also supposedly a manifestation of the Creator’s Play (Leela)!
So, now you know the power of play, let’s make sure we let our kids enjoy and have fun outdoors. Let’s keep gadgets and screen time to a minimum for creativity to flourish.
*Credits- The Power of Play Conference by LIFE (Leadership Initiative for Educators).
About the author-
This article is written by Stuti Mehrotra. She is a passionate educationist who has a rich experience of working with kids. She has been a teacher, trainer and an educator before being an entrepreneur and running her own preschool called Linden Montessori in Bengaluru.
Stuti highly believes in the Montessori Philosophy of believing greatly in children and allowing them to make their own choices and take certain risks within limits to help them in achieving their real potential as being over-protective with children makes them lose out on a number of learning opportunities. She is founder and director of Linden Montessori.
Other articles by Stuti – How to make children eat and also choose healthy food
How can we get kids to listen without yelling
November 3, 2018 at 2:02 am
I totally agree. I remember when I was a kid, I spent most of my time outdoors. I love playing with my kids, and I limit the use of gadgets at home esp on school days.
November 3, 2018 at 6:09 am
Playing definitely allows a child to be imaginative. It also helps them to develop important cognative and social skills. How great that they can do this without any added stress.
November 3, 2018 at 8:24 am
Very informative post. I am grateful for my childhood and also for allowing my daughters to play when they were kids. It is very important for them.
November 3, 2018 at 5:33 pm
Important post kids learn more outdoors than in front of the screen.
November 3, 2018 at 6:04 pm
People forget how important play is to children, it is one of the most important things to help them grow up into smart, independent adults 🙂
November 4, 2018 at 1:37 am
I could not agree more! It’s very important for kids to be able to pay especially outdoors! The technology today brought us many joys but also has driven us away from nature!