Play Routine
“Play promotes children’s development”
Another routine that is beneficial for children is play. Play is a natural part of children’s lives. All children play in some ways. They play by themselves, with adults or with other children.
Play is important for children’s development. It promotes children’s language, social-emotional, motor/physical, creativity, and cognitive skills. Often, more than one skill is enhanced when children play. For example, during play interactions with adults or other children, their language and social-emotional skills are enhanced. They may learn new words or different ways of communicating an idea or a thought. They learn or get to practice desirable social-emotional skills such as sharing, negotiating, turn-taking, resolving conflicts, and expressing their emotions appropriately. Depending on the type of play they are engaging in with the adults or other children, their motor, creativity and cognitive skills may be further developed too.
Besides promoting children’s language, social-emotional, motor, creativity, and cognitive skills, play also contributes to children’s social-emotional well-being. Parents/caregivers build strong bond with their children when they play with them, as they spend time doing what their children enjoy with them, paying attention to them, and understanding them. Children develop peer relationship and confidence in interacting with others when they play with other children.
Why then do we need to create a play routine for our children if it is a natural part o children’s lives?
Firstly, we live a in busy and fast paced society. There are likely many tasks that adults have to do in a day and as such, we do not have the time to play with our children or bring them to play with other children. Some of us may also bring our children along with us to run errands and therefore, reduce the time they have for play.
Secondly, children are attending more and more enrichment classes from a young age and exposed to more books. These also reduced their time to engage in play by themselves or with others. Lastly, some children are also spending more time engaging in screen activities, which decreased their time to participate in creative play with toys and/or with others.
Creating a play routine ensures that children get to play. Make play a part of their daily routine. The younger the child, the more time they should have for play.
Play includes:
Free play on their own with toys or materials
Free play with peers, siblings or caregivers
Structured play with peers, siblings, or caregivers (e.g., board games, planned make-believe play)
Social play with peers or siblings (e.g., hide and seek, musical chair)
Active/outdoor play (e.g., playground)
A little boy engaging in free play on his own
Remember, play is just as important and beneficial as enrichment or academic classes and books. Think about your children’s daily routine and if play is missing or the amount of time they spend each day playing is little, start to schedule in play time in their routine.