The Significance of Play in Early Learning and Child Development

This essay delves into the critical role of play in the early years of a child's development, examining its influence on holistic growth. It defines play, explores various theories from scholars like Freud, Piaget, and Vygotsky, and highlights the impact of play on cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development. The essay emphasizes the benefits of both structured and unstructured play, the roles of adults and environmental factors, and how these aspects collectively contribute to a child's overall well-being. The essay concludes by underscoring the importance of play in fostering essential skills and preparing children for future challenges. The essay also explores the impact of environmental factors and social interactions on children's play experiences.

Running head- PLAY AND EARLY LEARNING
Play in the early years of foundation stage
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Children living all over the world engages in playful activities and it is considered
imperative to their growing years. Play is indeed vital for the intellectual, physical and affective
development of all children. Play is also considered as an essential educational activity and is
often acknowledged in formal schooling. It creates provisions that help teachers enhance their
knowledge about a child. In addition, a child who engages in play is often able to learn about the
surrounding world and perceive the different aspects of the environment (Broadhead and Burt
2012). A child who does not engage in playful activities remains at an increased likelihood of
falling ill physically, and mentally. Several social factors such as poverty and war make it
difficult for children to indulge in play. This creates a crippling effect on their personality. This
essay aims to determine the different ways by which playing influences holistic development of a
child. It will also evaluate the role of adults and the external environment in bringing about this
development.
Play can therefore be defined as a process that is freely chosen, intrinsically motivated
and personally directed. The content and intent of play is generally determined by children. They
follow their instincts, interests and ideas while determining the nature and duration of their play
(Gray 2014). In addition, the Joint Natural Committee on Training for Playwork defines play as
an innate drive that is of utmost importance for child development. It is unpredictable and
spontaneous and helps children to establish relationship with the surrounding world. On the other
hand, the National Occupational Standards for Playwork defines it as a personally directed and
freely chosen behavior that motivates a child to explore the world and assists in establishing
relationship with it. This enhances the child’s learning and helps in the overall development
(Bergen 2014). Thus, it can be stated that there exists a close association between play and the
primary emotions of a child. The playwork theory is often associated with Haeckel’s theory of

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recapitulation and illustrates the fact that all stages in the development of a child correspond to
the successive adult forms of evolutionary history. Sigmund Freud proposed a theory in 1920
that stated that play allows a child to express negative emotions and also provides the
opportunity to reconcile the inner anxieties. According to the theory proposed by Friedrich
Schiller, play was defined as an aimless expenditure of exuberant energy and as a pleasurable,
superfluous and non-productive activity. However, this theory stated that play did not provide
any evolutionary development (Brooker, Blaise and Edwards 2014). The superfluous theory was
further supported by Spencer, who stated that higher animal species spent more time on play
when compared to lower animal species. The relaxation or recreational theory was proposed by
Moritz and described play as a activity that aimed to restore energy that was expended in work.
However, the classical theory on the role of play in sensory learning is still practiced in private
schools. According to the Montessori theory, children learn and imagine best in their play time.
It is sensory, and utilizes a hands-on approach that helps a child to set own pace to learn and
grow (Goodliff et al. 2017).
On the other hand, the modern theories determined the influence of play on development
of a child. Play was viewed as a rehearsal by Bruner in 1972. This theory stated that one of the
essential functions of play was rehearsing actions in response to real-life scenarios in a risk-free
and safe environment. Another theory proposed by John Dewey focused on the subconscious
influence of play in mental and social development (Brock et al. 2013). The theory separated
play from work and illustrated the former’s role in helping the growth of a child in a working
world. Thus, the theory proposed that childhood play activity prepares them to develop healthy
working adults. Other theory proposed by Jean Piaget mentioned that child development stages
of assimilation, or manipulation of the external world, helps a child to meet own needs and

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readjust the views in order to adapt to the environment (Piaget 2013). In addition, the fact that
play brings about holistic growth of a child was further supported by another theory. Lev
Vygotsky postulated that children use play as a means of social growth. While playing, they
interact with others by utilizing role-play and language. The theory also stated that while the
presence of playmates or peers is imperative for the growth and wellbeing of children, adult
supervision and interaction is also essential for mastering social skills (Vygotsky 2016).
The effect of dramatic play on the social and emotional development of a child has been
extensively studied. It helps children to create a sense of the surrounding world by enabling them
to act out situations before they actually occur. Thus, play helps children to cope with the events
that occur around them. Pretentious play or dramatic play contributes to the emotional
development of life by helping them to view life from a different perspective (Doyle and
Milchem 2012). Brian Sutton-Smith, the play theorist believed that children are born with high
neuronal capacity, which if not utilized properly will degenerate or die. Play helps the children to
develop certain neurological foundations that promote enhancement of language comprehension,
creativity and problem solving skills, in addition to learning (Drake 2013). Thus, play helps them
to calibrate their body and muscles in order to develop abstract thinking capacity. Therefore, it
can be stated that children who are not stimulated for playing tend to develop fewer opportunities
to explore the surroundings. Eventually, they show failure in establishing a link between the
neural connections and the learning pathways.
Playing time also helps in stimulating the production of the brain-derived neurotrophic
factor, a protein in the prefrontal cortex and amygdala. These structures in turn help in
organization, monitoring, and plan development for future (Russ and American Psychological
Association 2014). Furthermore, the immediate benefits of play on children health have been

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demonstrated by the American Psychological Association Monitor on Psychology. It has
provided evidence that suggest that play exerts long-term benefits such as, inducing moral sense
in addition to maintaining cardiovascular fitness among juvenile.
The role of play on holistic child development can also be supported by the evidences that
suggest the role of play on improving aerobic conditioning and fine tuning motor skills. It also
helps the children to prepare for the unexpected. Successfully playing with others results in
development of emotional intelligence (Kilvington and Wood 2018). This enables children to
understand other’s feelings and perspectives. It also promotes justice and fairness. In addition,
unstructured play time is regarded as a good way of stimulating the brain of a child. It inculcates
the habit of problem solving and creative thinking among children. Further, it also helps them to
develop motor skills, reasoning capability and creative thinking capacity. The emotional benefits
of play include the following-
 It helps in creating a sense of intimacy, joy and self-esteem
 It reduces anxiety, fear, irritability and stress among children
 Works towards improvement of openness and emotional flexibility
 Helps to heal emotional pain
 Makes children more calm, resilient and adaptable to the changes in their life and the
surrounding environment (Garrick 2009).
The physical benefits of play on holistic development of a child can be summarized as
follows-
 The efficiency of endocrine, cardiovascular and immune system gets increased as a result
of positive emotions that are reinforced due to play.

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 Play reduces incidence of fatigue, stress, depression and injury among children.
 It also helps in increasing agility, motion, balance, coordination, flexibility and motor
skills
Holistic development of a child can also occur through the social benefits that play exerts on
a child. The effects of play on social skills are as follows-
 Helps in increasing compassion and empathy, and the children learn the act of sharing
 They learn to develop choices and options
 The non-verbal skills get improved
 An improvement in attachment and attention is also achieved
Apart from the abovementioned influence of play on holistic development of a child, play
also creates ideal opportunities for adults to engage with their children. Parents and family
members are considered as the first educators of a child. They play an essential role in helping
the child engage in playful activities. Adults join children in their play, which in turn plays a
crucial role in fostering establishment of positive relationships between the child and its parents,
in a supportive and fun-filled atmosphere (Moyles 2014). Parents also help their children in
experiment ting with new skills by creating provisions for opportunities that acts as a pillar of
support for the children. In addition, the acknowledgment and approval of parents regarding a
certain playful activity creates a sense of positive reinforcement among the children. The co-
participation of an adult helps in bringing about a vast difference in the child’s development.
It enables a child to share the experiences of playing with an adult, which in turn helps the
adult to recall similar childhood experiences. Timing and patience are crucial factors that
determine the interaction between an adult and a child during play (Featherstone 2013). Thus,

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adult involvement creates provisions for enhancement of the physical and mental space among
children. This in turn helps them to play with innovative materials and ideas that appear
meaningful and attractive to them. Adults should also focus on not imposing their ideas on the
children, as this may create hindrance in their holistic development (Hakkarainen et al. 2013).
The role of adults in children’s play is considered as a continuum that exists between direct play
involvement and its indirect planning (Lindon, Kelman and Sharp 2008). Adults generally get
involved in organizing time, resource and space for promoting play at one end of the continuum.
They are more involved in mediating and interpreting the play that engages children. They get
directly involved in a play on adoption of an active role during play tutoring, parallel play, or co-
playing. Adults also help in promoting moral and ethical considerations among children (Fleer
2015).
Environmental and social factors create an influence on child’s play. There are several
countries where social, political and economic instability results in the development of civil
conflicts. Wars also create difficulties for families and adults to maintain emotional development
of their children (Paksuniemi, Määttä and Uusiautti 2015). Poor living conditions create an
impact on the mental and physical development of children. They create a detrimental effect on
the holistic growth of children (Christensen and Gast 2015). While, evidences suggest that
deprived children play more, the quality of their play is generally poorer and results in several
instances of playground misuse, vandalism and injuries. Socially backward communities provide
fewer resources such as, parks and playgrounds (Evans and Kim 2013). This hampers the
emotional bonding between the child and the parent (Haughton and Ellis 2016).
Adverse environment creates difficulties for the child to interact with others or express their
perceptions due to lack of play activities. The sensory experiences that are encountered by

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children during play in indoor and outdoor environments influence their motor skills and
cognitive development. Play environments that offer less physical space often result in
unfocused and aggressive behavior among children. Such crowded spaces also limit social
interaction opportunities between the adults and their children. Therefore, space shapes play
flow. In addition, a safe environment encourages the play behavior and exploration among
children (Bergen 2014). This in turn helps in avoiding injuries and safeguards the children. Thus,
a holistic wellbeing is achieved. Furthermore, outdoor environment helps in development of
physical skills and stimulates passive children to participate in physical activity. Thus, it can be
stated that the environment is not only essential for physical wellbeing, but it also plays an
essential role in enhancing social interaction, emotional and cognitive skills (Roskos 2017).
To conclude, it can be stated that play is difficult to define. It creates a zone of development
of the child and provides them with the opportunity to take risk and improve their learning
abilities. Play activities encourage creative outcomes and helps children to explore their
surroundings. It encourages emotional, social, cognitive, and physical development. It facilitates
the peer interaction among children who engaged in play activities. Children are able tom
constantly develop their language skills and start exhibiting a sense of intimacy. They also
develop the power of self-expression that facilitates emotional development. Parent participation
and external environment create huge impacts on play. Thereby, it can be stated that play is
indeed an activity that is undertaken by children for pleasure and is one of the most essential
needs for their holistic development.

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