How the Experience of Play Can Assist in a Child's Development

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Explain how the experience of play can assist with child development Play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth. Play also offers an ideal opportunity for parents to engage fully with their children. Despite the benefits derived from play for both children and parents, time for free play has been markedly reduced for some children. This report addresses a variety of factors that have reduced play, including a hurried lifestyle, changes in family structure, and increased attention to academics and enrichment activities at the expense of recess or free child-centred play. The experiences that children have with play assist with child development in many areas. It helps children develop social skills and what is acceptable behaviour. By playing it is also stimulating their cognitive and intellectual development by allowing them to make their own decisions. When children play with a group of other children they start to learn how to co-operate with them. They begin to understand concepts such as sharing, not to hit other kids, not to snatch and to use manners. These understandings cannot be taught nor can a child learn these on their own, therefore being exposed to other children and playing with them is essential in a child’s social development. Playing with toys can stimulate children’s brain in term of identifying colours and shapes and naming them. It allows them to think for themselves and make judgements on where they choose to play, with whom and with what toys. These decision making processes allow room for their personality to grow and for them to figure out, which colours they like, whether they like playing in big groups or with just a few kids, whether they are more independent or like to follow others. It is important for children to make their own decisions

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