Blog

14 Jun
Great article about play
Posted by Marcus Veerman

Below is an article from the Association of Childrens Education International (ACEI) and we believe it is the most concise summary of the Value of play for children. Here are some quotes and a link. Thanks to ACEI for sharing this freely.

 "Theorists, regardless of their orientation, concur that play occupies a central role in children's
lives. They also suggest that the absence of play is an obstacle to the development of healthy and
creative individuals. Psychoanalysts believe that play is necessary for mastering emotional
traumas or disturbances; psychosocialists believe it is necessary for ego mastery and learning to
live with everyday experiences; constructivists believe it is necessary for cognitive growth;
maturationists believe it is necessary for competence building and for socializing functions in all
cultures of the world; and neuroscientists believe it is necessary for emotional and physical health,
motivation, and love of learning.

Moreover, findings from the recent explosion of research on the brain and learning also delineate
the importance of play (Jensen, 2000, 2001; Shore, 1997). We know that active brains make
permanent neurological connections critical to learning; inactive brains do not make the
necessary permanent neurological connections. Research on the brain demonstrates that play is a
scaffold for development, a vehicle for increasing neural structures, and a means by which all
children practice skills they will need in later life. This research raises new questions for those
who view play as a trivial, simple, frivolous, unimportant, and purposeless behavior (Christie, 2001
Frost, Wortham, & Reifel, 2001; Shore, 1997) and challenges them to recognize play for what
it is–a serious behavior that has a powerful influence on learning. Such an attitude shift could
increase the level of respect accorded to currently undervalued activities such as recess, physical
education, the arts, and rich personal adult/child interactions."

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Great article about play