Sigmund Freud (1958) suggested that every child at play “ behaves like a creative writer, in that he creates a world of his own , or , rather rearranges the things of his world in a new way which pleases him “
Play is an essential part of a child’s life and is vital to their development . They can be freely creative , build relationships with friends and is essential to their enjoyment of life . It is the way children explore the world around them , learn about themselves , their interests , their abilities, learn to reach agreement and to reciprocate words and actions .Play is essential for emotional , physical and spiritual growth, for acquiring behavioural and social skills and for intellectual and educational development . Play has no boundaries , age , race , religion and any ability can play together During play children can also build on their exploration skills by using their senses to investigate , examine and discover .
All types of play from fantasy to rough – and –tumble , have a crucial role in a child’s development . Children benefit most by varying their play activities , sometimes playing alone but also with others, playing quietly in the floor or actively outside .
During play adults have a chance to observe a child’s behaviour and participation. It is a great way to gain insight into a child’s perception and feelings and how they understand the world, you get to see the world from a child’s vantage point . Play can heal emotional pain , decrease stress ,fatigue and depression . Active play has the paradoxical effect of increasing attention span and improving the efficiency of thinking and problem solving .
As a child grows the way they play changes they get more creative and experiment more with toys and games . We therefore need to provide a wide range of toys for a child to play with and provide plenty of activities for a child to do to keep them interested , stimulated and stop them from getting bored . Learning new skills...