Play learn and grow

Play is an integral part of child development. During first few years of child development, he spends most of his time in playing and learns through it. It is the child’s work and he enjoys it because it is fun. Play is a way for interacting child with environment. Toys are the aids or props to assist the play. Play may or may not require toys.

There are different developmental stages for the play but most important is that the child should enjoy and learn from it. Play provides the platform for developing the other milestone of development. It helps in improving communication, social skills like turn taking and sharing, physical and fine motor development, cognition and emotions. Other important skills like joint attention, competitiveness, leadership and team building also can be learnt from play. Play is the spontaneous activity which most of the child learn by themselves, but for transition it into skill it may need guidance or skill training.

Play may be different for the child with developmental delays. It may be ritualistic, repetitive, non spontaneous, purposeless and rigid. Most of the Children with Autism have problems with play. It is because they have difficulty in imagination, joint attention, fine motor, understanding the language, or may be because of sensory issues.

Play therapy is the specialized area where the play is taught as per the child’s ability. To teach through play, the child may need Early interventionist or occupational therapy assistance but many parents may do good. It may just need patient and creative ideas. Professionals can help parents to make play easy and fun by designing the right play for the child depending on the child’s skills and interest.

Various types of play are Physical play, Water play, Sand Play, fine motor play and pretend play

Tips for the parents:

1. Keep the session short initially and then increase the time.
2. Be patient fun-ful and gentle
3. Play should also be purposeful
4. Start up with simple toys or activities and then go next level.
5. Buy the toys by seeing the purpose rather than the price tag
6. Start up with the activity or play which the child likes and then add one more similar activity with different purpose. For eg if the child likes to play with cars, teach him the colors of car, big and small car etc
7. Give time to child to explore and imagine, wait for the child’ anticipation and response
8. Never dominate the play, start up as assistant and then help the child to take it forward
9. Add music or rhyme in the play session. Most of the children like it.
10. Always end the session with a good note or the activity which child enjoys, so that he remembers how much it is fun to play.