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Play as a Vehicle for Discovery and Learning From infancy onward, humans learn about their world through making its objects their toys. In doing so, they develop their cognitive capacity along with physical, emotional, and social understanding. Accepting play as an appropriate avenue for cognitive school- or center-based learning has been a recurring theme throughout […]

Play as a Creative Medium That Promotes Cognitive Development     This scene from “Bridge to Terabithia,” shows how make-believe play stimulates creativity and evolves into a spectacular realm of fantasy and role playing.   Buena Vista Pictures/Everett Collection The concept of play as a creative medium has been expressed by both classical and modern

Play as Support for Development of Both Body and Brain Many aspects of play are known to improve cognition and memory. For example, motor movements, such as those associated with physical play involving the large muscles, release brain chemicals that energize the body and the brain, and also improve mood (Jensen, 2005). Therefore, motor activities

Theories That Focus on Cognitive and Language Development Play as Support for Development of Both Body and Brain Many aspects of play are known to improve cognition and memory. For example, motor movements, such as those associated with physical play involving the large muscles, release brain chemicals that energize the body and the brain, and

Psychological Benefits Provided by Play Freud suggested that play provides a natural mode for emotional healing. Because play episodes can be reenacted without fear of real-life consequences, children are able to test alternative responses and develop plans for coping with stressful or hurtful realities. Through the fantasy of play, children are able to stand powerful

Theories That Focus on Psychological Development The concept of play as an avenue for expressing feelings and desires, and venting frustrations and disappointments, comes from psychoanalytic theorists such as Sigmund Freud, Erik Erikson, and Anna Freud. According to Sigmund Freud, play and dreams are forms of wish fulfillment, providing altered psychological states in which unacceptable

Physical Benefits Provided by Play Neuroscientists have suggested that active play is necessary for healthy brain growth. According to Trawick-Smith (2010), active playful encounters with caregivers are particularly important for infants and toddlers with special needs. Physical play not only strengthens muscles but also stimulates brain activity, which leads to higher levels of interest and

Rough-and-Tumble Play Rough-and-tumble play generally refers to motor play that may have the appearance of aggression to outside observers while the children are aware they are engaged playfully. Most forms of active motor play require close and nearly constant supervision, and this is particularly true for rough-andtumble play (Carlson, 2011a; Carlson, 2011b). Stuart Brown, founder

Motor Play Motor play provides children with experience in using and gaining control over their bodies (Carlson, 2011a) and a means of expending energy stored up from long periods of inactivity. During early childhood, children typically engage in two types of motor play— structured and unstructured. Structured motor play is generally more teacher-directed with group

Play With Objects According to Piaget (1967), play with objects helps young children extend their physical knowledge of the world. He observed that, from infancy, children actively engage with objects out of innate curiosity and with minimal adult guidance. Their learning results primarily through direct experience, trial-and-error, and practice. As children gain further understanding of