Promoting Powerful Play: Part One

Recently I’ve noticed an abudance of posts on social media talking about the importance of play in child development and I absolutely love it! I’ve always been a play based therapist, so I love reading and hearing about how parents, teachers or other therapists are promoting play in various environments. The benefits of play have been well documented and highly versed for decades, almost a century even!

We live in a very interesting era where the time and opportunity available for children to access and engage in unstructured free play is remarkably diminished compared to generations past. We are all familar with the culprits: too much screen time, increased focus on academics, pressure to engage in multiple structured activities, fear of letting children play outside with limited supervision… the list goes on. Times have sure changed, we all have either heard or said the old rhetoric “when we were kids…” (I know I have and I’m not even 30!).

However, there is a big push to change this current culture and return to the days of unstructured and imaginative play (preferably in some form of nature). I highly support this movement as I am yet to find something that can not be taught or developed through play. After all, we know that play is how children learn, and is their primary “occupation”.

When provided with the opportunity, children will engage in play that entices and challenges them. While all children need some level of adult support to progress their play skills, not all children develop play skills in the same way. Some children may need a higher level of support to guide them to become great players. They may have challenges or delays in communication, social skills, motor planning, sensory processing, motor skills, or problem solving (just to name a few).

You may notice the above list overlaps with the factors that impact on self regulation development. When we consider what is developed and learnt through play, it is not a surprise that children who have difficulty playing are also often identified as having self regulation difficulties. In fact, they are usually brought to my attention for their self regulation difficulties first, and their play skills (or lack thereof) weren’t even considered as a contributing factor. While there are many programs out there that aim to “teach” self regulation (which can be great especially for older children), I prefer to use the power of play!

I’m going to split this post into a few parts, below I’ll cover general points to keep in mind when promoting play development and in the following  parts I’ll discuss some specific challenges to play and strategies I’ve used to address them. (Please feel free to email me if there is a challenge you would like suggestions for!)

4 Tips to Promote Powerful Play:

1. Know what type of play is on offer

There are lots of different types of play! From motor, exploratory, object, communicative, imaginative, cooperative, rule-based, dramatic, construction… the various types of play children can engage in is extremely varied! Play will look very different depending on the developmental age, interests and skills of a child. If a child is drawn to a particular type of play, consider how you could incorporate the skills learnt in other play styles into that play. For example, if a child primarily engages in motor based play (such as running and climbing) you could introduce some large foam shapes for them to carry and stack (to work on the planning and hand eye coordination developed through construction).

2. Decide what type and how many materials will be available

When you know what type of play you want to promote, you can ensure that the right materials are available. By ‘materials’ I mean anything that can be used in play. This can be everything from pots and pans, to a cardboard box to Elsa dolls and Tonka trucks. The materials available can shape what type of play a child is able to engage in. It’s difficult to construct a building without something to build with! Likewise, being able to modulate and develop strength and learn to understand your body is pretty difficult without things to hang from, climb over or balance on.
Children who are still learning to share, take turns and cooperate with peers, benefit from having enough materials available to promote parellel or associative (side by side) play, without the risk of fights.

Remember that sometimes less can be more; an over abundance of limited use toys can be both overwhelming and limit creativity and flexible thinking. Try using materials that can serve multiple purposes to reduce clutter and encourage imaginations to run wild!

3. Look at and change the play space 

Is it large and spacious or small and cozy? Is it noisy or quiet? Visually stimulating or plain? Is there sand or grass or pavement or carpet?
The environment will massively influence the type and quality of play. Before you ask, I don’t think there is just one ‘ideal’ environment. Children are individuals, are what works well for one child may not work for another. They will each have their own preferences in regard to their play environment. But generally speaking, crowded, loud, and busy environments will breed chaos and conflict. A calmer space is promotes communication, engagement, social referencing and focus.
They say variety is the spice of life and in terms of play, I believe variety is key. Different environments will challenge and stimulate different skills, senses, and ways of thinking. Playing in sand is unlike playing on carpet, and dirt responds differently to floorboards. The sounds heard, scents smelt, sights seen, temperatures felt, muscles used and movements needed all differ depending on the environment a child is in. Allowing children to play and explore numerous environments gives them the opportunity to explore a complete range of senses and movements.

4. Figure out what your child’s current play level is

Knowing where a child is at with their play skills allows you to ensure that the play space and materials on offer are appropriate for them. You will be able to meet them where they are at, and guide them to expand upon their pre-existing skills. Pitching play expectations that are beyond a child’s developmental stage will disappoint you and frustrate the child. On the flip side, without support, children can stagnate and remain in play that is immature. While playing is an occupation for children, like everything, it needs nurturing and guidance in order to reach its full potential.

Click here for Part Two: Trouble Sharing and Difficulties Understanding or Conveying Ideas

Click here for Part Three: Restricted Interests and Difficulties with Motor Planning

Happy playing!