| ALL IN A DAY'S PLAY! by Teri Allen, OTR Play is the "work " of childhood. When a baby plays with a rattle, he develops the muscles of his eyes and hands and begins to selectively listen. As he participates in Peekaboo with Mom and Dad he begins to develop social skills and learn about the constancy of objects. Teaching baby to wave "bye" is a game of social etiquette we have all played. We get exasperated when baby repeatedly drops everything off the highchair, but this is an important lesson to him. He is learning the practical consequences of gravity and space, and the limitations in adult attention and patience! The toddler's inquisitive nature and a stimulating environment promote development of his muscles as he rolls, crawls, walks and climbs in an attempt to explore his world. Climbing onto a rocking horse will develop his strength, balance, and ability to move rhythmically. As we read a book to him, the toddler is developing language and visual skills, along with his ability to pay attention. Playing in his sand box with a friend will enhance social skills and fantasy play while giving him an opportunity to experience variety with his sense of touch. As a child matures, play becomes more complex, requiring higher levels of coordination, social skills, problems solving and language. A game of hide and seek requires an 8 year old to understand and remember several rules. To be included in the game, she must have the necessary social skills to be a cooperative player. She needs to perceive what size space she can squeeze herself into and if she will be hidden from various points of view. With experience, she may learn a strategy and develop a sense of timing and speed to get "home free". There's a lot to be learned In the stages between the baby playing with a rattle and the 8 year old organizing a game of hide and seek. Many of these things cannot be learned sitting at a desk, watching television or quietly playing alone. Parents, teachers and child care personnel need to make sure they are encouraging and supporting quality play for children. It is vital to healthy development. Researchers studying play, have given many practical suggestions we can use to enhance our children's play. Time for play is a major consideration, especially with our busy family schedules. Fifteen minutes may be an adequate period of time to play with an infant of to swing at recess, but longer periods of time are needed to develop fantasy play or organize group games. Older children may even spread their fantasy play over several days. Studies of children in nursery school have shown when "free play" time is broken into 10 or 15 minute periods, children spend most of this time waiting or in transition instead of productive play. Suitable play space is also important to children. They demonstrate a need for security plus a sense of privacy when in fantasy play. A European study found children living in crowded apartments, retreated to hallways and stairwells for fantasy play. When playing outside, they preferred being close to home where adults were also congregating as opposed to well equipped playgrounds a greater distance away. A variety of toys and playthings appropriate for the child's age should be available. All areas of development can be facilitated by toys: LARGE MOTOR SKILLS - slides, swings, bikes, jump ropes, roller skates, balls, etc. SMALL MOTOR SKILLS - crayons, clay, scissors, transformers, legos, video games, etc. PERCEPTUAL SKILLS - puzzles, assembly toys, hidden picture games, etc. LOGIC AND LANGUAGE SKILLS - board games, card games, books, etc. Most of all, we need to enjoy our children's play and learn to respect and appreciated the hard work involved in growing up. Play with your child occasionally. You will have a great time and learn a lot about him. |
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