What is play?

Play is defined as an activity that a person engages in for recreation and enjoyment. For children, play is crucial to their development and learning. A child’s primary occupation is to play, learn, and socialize (AOTA, 2015). As a child plays, they develop the ability to problem solve, learn new skills, and use coordination and motor skills. (AOTA, 2011). It is important to remember that children learn best when they play with toys that are geared towards their developmental level  (raisingchildren.net). Encouraging play with toys that are above your child’s developmental levels can lead to frustration and distraction.  

why is PLAY important for children to learn?

Play is an important component of childhood learning. It fosters the development of motor skills, teaches children how to use their bodies, and helps children learn about the world around them. When a child “plays”, it can be a structured game with rules such as kickball, free play (building with blocks), or engaging with a toy or another person. Although play is perceived as “fun”, it is also a vital part of childhood development.

For example, an infant may “play” by cooing and giggling with mommy. That baby is developing the ability to make eye contact, socialize, and form a relationship. A toddler may play with blocks or toy trains. He is developing the ability to use his two hands together to connect the blocks, visual skills to line them up properly, and imagination to decide what he wants to build. As he plays on the floor with his train, he is crawling on all fours, using his body to bear weight, and using eye-hand coordination to keep his train on the track. A school-age child plays a board game with a friend. Although socializing and forming a friendship with a peer, he is also learning to follow rules, take turns, and cope with losing/ or learning to be a good sport.

As children grow older, the activities they participate in as “Play” activities change. So do the benefits and acquired skills of the activity they are engaging in.

When a child’s attention limits his ability to play for extended periods of time, it also interferes with his ability to develop the skills that naturally emerge from playtime. So, as you can see, PLAY IS VERY IMPORTANT

WHEN ATTENTION INTERFERES WITH PLAY

A child needs to be able to attend and focus for appropriate periods of time in order to engage in their play activity. For children with disabilities, attention, and lack of focus is often the culprit for limited play skills. This, in turn, impacts the child’s motor skills, socialization skills, and acquisition of developmental milestones.  Attention span increases with age. It can also improve depending on the activity presented. If a game or activity is presented to a child that is particularly hard for them ( for example, giving lite brite to a child with fine motor difficulty), they may be more prone to distraction.

Lack of attention is a symptom of many different disabilities. Attention Deficit Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and Autism Spectrum Disorder are disabilities where the lack of attention impact a child’s ability to participate in classwork, playtime, socialization, and more. Tourette’s Syndrome, Sensory Processing Disorder, and Developmental Disabilities are also diagnoses that are typically associated with attention difficulties.