The Importance of Play

Guided Play – Notes from the Volunteer Training Session

The purpose of this session is to reinforce what we do at Shepshed Toy Library, and why. Our mission statement states that we are here to promote play. In all of the day to day activities at the toy library, this core message can sometimes get buried.

Let’s look at what play is and its purpose. It is not just something to occupy children and keep them out of mischief, but is an important learning vehicle. Without play children have difficulty building relationships, may not be on an intellectual level with others and can develop emotional problems. Play helps children to explore and experience things in life in a safe way. They use their experience from home and life to understand the world.

Pause for a moment and think about what you remember of play from your own childhood.

Einstein said that imagination is more important than knowledge.

Knowledge is limited, but imagination encircles the world.

Today’s children are often prevented from engaging in play because of the hectic lifestyles people lead. Play is often replaced by TV so that parents know where the children are and what they are doing. Society seems to want children to learn from watching something or doing something in one place, rather than building up a rich mixture of experiences and skills. There is also much pressure in today’s society to keep houses clean and tidy. Toys are kept in specific places, closed away from general family life. When children want to play they cannot engage in the heart of the home.

Play should be fun, and it is a safe way to work out what life is about. Children learn many skills through play and learn to solve problems. Children need to be able to exercise choice in their play. They should be able to choose when to play, what to play, play at their own level and explore issues relevant to them. We need to be able to challenge the barriers to play that exist in today’s society: overuse of TV/DVDs, fear of playing outside and unwillingness to allow mess in the house.

Play should also be child-led. It needs to develop at their pace and encompass their experience of life. Play practitioners need to balance observation with active intervention to extend play. Careful observation is needed to enable a judgement to be made as to when to extend the play by introducing more language or other aids etc, as sometimes the child is benefiting from being left alone to be immersed in their own fantasy world.

Play also helps develop long lasting relationships between a child and parent. It is important to allow yourself to be in their world, to join in and encourage.

Play has to be valued by adults. Not just be regarded as a way to keep the child quiet. Parents must see the value of what the child is doing. It is important to see when the child is engrossed and not disturb or interrupt if it can be helped. What the child is doing when playing is valuable to their development, physically, mentally and emotionally. Therefore it's also important to forewarn the child that the play time will be coming to an end and not end it abruptly.

As role models at the toy library, we need to show parents and carers the joy of playing with children and joining in with them. More and more society pushes play away and focuses on formal education. Many people think that play stops when the children go to school. All volunteers and staff must embody the value of play and help to promote it to parents and carers alike.