3 Things to remember while playing with children

“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.”

Play is an incredibly important part of a child’s life. The benefits of play are numerous. It offers multiple benefits to children such as social, emotional, behavioural, and physical. Children learn and explore the world through play.

Play is also an opportunity for parents to be a part of their child’s world. A paper published in the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that positive parenting activity, such as playing, may decrease parental experience of stress and may enhance parent-child relationship. 

In this article, we will cover:

• The role of parents in play
• 3 Things to remember while playing with children

The role of parents in play

A book by Penny Tassoni, Caring For Children, mentions what parents or caregivers need to do while playing with children that goes well beyond supervising children and letting them play: 

• Check if the equipment used to play is safe or not
• Ensure that child’s toys and other play equipment are clean
• Know what the child is allergic to and keep the child away from the allergen
• Demonstrate how different things work or how to play with certain equipment
• Intervene if the play starts getting aggressive
• Encourage the child to play with a variety of toys and equipment in multiple ways

3 Things to remember while playing with children

The book, Caring For Children, says that play is important for the child’s overall development. It also means that parents need to provide opportunities for their little ones to play. Here are the three things parents need to remember while supervising or playing with children:

• Understand that every child is unique and approaches play differently. Some children may need extra adult help or different equipment to play. Parents need to find out ways to support their child to play. For example: Shyam finds it difficult to share and hence often struggles while playing with other children. Parents need to encourage their child to share and help the child make new friends. 
• Another important thing to remember is that every child gets to play. Parents need to pay attention to allergies and other things that may stop some children from playing. For example: Ananya has sensitive skin that does not allow him to play with dough. Parents in this case can make natural playdough at home or provide gloves to the child. 
• Another very important thing to remember is to avoid assigning genders to toys. All children can and should play with all toys and equipment. Parents need to avoid things that may lead children to associate a toy or an equipment with a gender. 

Parents need to support their child’s play needs for their holistic development. One way of doing that is to set up a playroom for the child based on their unique needs. Easy access to toys and a room to explore toys are two things that parents can provide to support their child to play better. Use parental discretion and find what works best for you and your child. 

Did you like reading this article? Do share your thoughts with us in the comments below. 

References

• Tassoni, P. (2001). Caring for Children: A Foundation Course in Child Care and Education. Pearson Education. https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Caring_for_Children/dFA_UODClmsC 
• Yogman, M., Garner, A., Hutchinson, J., Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Golinkoff, R. M. (2018, September 1). The power of play: A pediatric role in enhancing development in young children. American Academy of Pediatrics. https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/142/3/e20182058

Also read, 

• Key Tactics The Pros Use For Building Listening Skills In Children 
• A Parent’s Guide To Happier Mealtimes