Play is the work of children, and through play children benefit intellectually, physically, socially, and emotionally. The benefits of play for children's intellectual growth are numerous. As children play out the situations in their lives or pretend lives, they are met with situations they do not understand. As they approach the situations and attempt to make sense of them in the context of their own lives, they practice problem-solving skills and build new knowledge. Play is so important to a child's development and research has shown the benefits.
Research says play is important for children of all abilities because it lays the foundation for reading, writing, mathematical reasoning and creativity. Play has and undeniable influence on every aspect of a child's development. (McElwain, 2001)
The Power of Play
Play aids growth…is a voluntary activity…offers children freedom of action…
provides an imaginary world children can master…has elements of adventure in it...
provides a base for language building…furthers interest and concentration… is vitalizing…
has unique power for building interpersonal relations... refines a child’s judgments…
is the way children investigate the material world… is always a dynamic way of learning…
offers opportunities for master of the physical self… is a way of learning adult roles…
can be academically structured…is essential to the survival of humans.
(Frank & Theresa Caplan, The Power of Play)
