Angie Evola Escher, MS, OTR/L : "Play is all about exploration, imagination, discovery, and creativity. Play develops good motor skills, communication skills, social skills and problem-solving skills."
Sherri Cawn, M.A., CCC-SLP: "Play helps children develop important thinking skills that will help them as adults."
Catherine R Murray, LCSW Infant Mental Health Specialist, DIR-B: "Play is one of the most important ways for children to learn about themselves and the world around them! Early in life, play is how we all learned about gravity, difference in colors, shapes, sizes of things; how to use and move our bodies, how to make interesting sounds, how to handle our feelings, and how to connect with other people around us. We also use play to practice skills like negotiation, problem solving, creativity or ingenuity, and social skills. Basically, play is life practice. Plus, play is fun! We all learn better when we feel like we are having fun."
Colleen Sims, MA, JD:
"Play is considered to be "the work" of young children. This is because when children are engaged in play and exploration, they are discovering things about and making sense of the world around them. Play can take many forms for young children, and also looks different as we get older, but it is healthy and necessary for humans of all ages to engage in play.
When children are younger, play can be unstructured and totally driven by the children playing. This is the kind of imaginative play that you see when kids play dramatic games like "playing house" or "good guys vs. bad guys" or building an imaginary land in a sandbox.
Play for younger children can also be guided by teachers or grown-ups, and be more instructional in nature. In this situation, children might engage in playful scenarios in order to develop an understanding of specific goals..Research has shown that this kind of playful learning is much more helpful than just learning out of a workbook, where you have pages and pages of worksheets asking you to tell time. "
Sherri Cawn, M.A., CCC-SLP: "Play helps children develop important thinking skills that will help them as adults."
Catherine R Murray, LCSW Infant Mental Health Specialist, DIR-B: "Play is one of the most important ways for children to learn about themselves and the world around them! Early in life, play is how we all learned about gravity, difference in colors, shapes, sizes of things; how to use and move our bodies, how to make interesting sounds, how to handle our feelings, and how to connect with other people around us. We also use play to practice skills like negotiation, problem solving, creativity or ingenuity, and social skills. Basically, play is life practice. Plus, play is fun! We all learn better when we feel like we are having fun."
Colleen Sims, MA, JD:
"Play is considered to be "the work" of young children. This is because when children are engaged in play and exploration, they are discovering things about and making sense of the world around them. Play can take many forms for young children, and also looks different as we get older, but it is healthy and necessary for humans of all ages to engage in play.
When children are younger, play can be unstructured and totally driven by the children playing. This is the kind of imaginative play that you see when kids play dramatic games like "playing house" or "good guys vs. bad guys" or building an imaginary land in a sandbox.
Play for younger children can also be guided by teachers or grown-ups, and be more instructional in nature. In this situation, children might engage in playful scenarios in order to develop an understanding of specific goals..Research has shown that this kind of playful learning is much more helpful than just learning out of a workbook, where you have pages and pages of worksheets asking you to tell time. "