Child’s Play – It’s FUN-damental!

Child Life and those working with children in various other settings know that play is about more than just fun and games. Decades of research clearly demonstrate that play boots healthy development across a broad spectrum of critical areas: intellectual, social, emotional and physical.


“Play is a child’s work”
           - Jean Piaget (1896 – 1980)


Jean Piaget, founder of some of the most influential theories in cognitive development, was really the first of many who widened the perspective of professionals working with children to the power and importance of the play. Play is a natural and essential part of childhoods and is a child’s form of LEARNING. The benefits are so plentiful that “every day of childhood should be a day for play” as advocated by the Alliance for Childhood.

Indeed, Child Life Specialists function from the principle that every child, regardless of ability or circumstance needs child-directed play periods built into their day. Of course, the length and type of play will dependent on the child’s age as well as their physical and emotional state.

Child Life programs in hospitals have become the primary means of systematically providing developmental and therapeutic experiences for children through unique application of play as a:
          

a)      Healing modality (Play allows children to process an unfamiliar experiences their own pace. It allows children to gain control of their thoughts, feelings and actions and helps them achieve a sense of mastery) and….

b)       A teaching tool (i.e., Medical Play - which is a type of child-directed play used to help hospitalized children to learn about their condition, the treatment plan - test, procedures, surgeries; and rehearse ways to cope effectively).

Playrooms in healthcare environments serve some important functions. Most fundamentally, they provide children away from home and normal routines with a with a safe environment, free from medical procedures ect. to just be kids and engage in “normal” activities. Play is fun and familiar to all children and can encourage normal development in a new or stressful environment or during challenging circumstances.

There are many Types of Play that child life specialists can use to promote learning, development, coping and to just have plain old fun: 



Child Life: Types of Play


 

Become PRO-PLAY!

• Educate others about the FUNdamentals of play: Share research-based evidence about the importance and therpuetic value of imaginative, child-initiated, free play for children of all ages, abilities and environments.
• Advocate: Lobby for safe, well-maintained, developmentally-appropriate and stimulating play spaces in your community, hospital (waiting rooms, emergency departments), clinics, or in your respective education/treatment environment for children ect.
• Start an annual local “PLAY DAY” in your setting. For tips on how to accomplish this visit the International Play Association @ www.ipausa.org or www.ipacanada.org.

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Thanks for reading!


Team PRO-Play
J


References:
The Child Life Council @ www.clc.org
Alliance for Childhood @ http://www.allianceforchildhood.org
 
Image Source:
**Types of Play Graphic: Copyright © 2013 childsplayccls. (This is an original image, please clearly reference image to http://childsplayccls.blogspot.ca if you would like to use it.)