Child’s play
Opportunities to play are really opportunities to learn as during play children learn and practice social skills, develop cognitive abilities like problem solving, and refine language skills. Renowned psychologist, Jean Piaget, summed it up best:” Play is a child’s work.”
In the beginning, toys and objects serve as playthings for infants to suck, grab and swat and to eventually push, pull, drop and stack in an exploratory manner. It is common to see a one-year-old open up a box or dismantle toys to find out what’s in it? How can I play with this? What will happen if I drop it? Will it move? Does it smell? Make noise? Through experimentation with toys and objects, and through trial and error, the young child begins to make sense of the world.
Sometime between 12 to 18 months, children begin to use toys and objects for more than just a function, but as tools for initiating social interactions, but as tools for initiating social interactions. Professor and author, David W. Kritt, says:” play serves a catalyst for development…so that objects cease to dominate the meaning of situations.” It is the social encounters achieved through the use of toys that bring meaning to the child.
Toys are also tools for imaginative play. To the toddler a beanbag is no longer just a soft-weighted object that can be held or tossed; it becomes a telephone to hold against one’s ear, cheese to put on a sandwich, or a present to give to a friend.
Young children enjoy learning through physical play because it helps them refine budding more skills. It teaches them to control their bodies, develop confidence and understand their abilities and limits. Physical play can also redirect frustration and pent-up energy caused from the stress of encountering new situations.