The Importance of Play for Young Children

Learning through play for children is an essential component for development. Children have an innate ability to discover the world for themselves. It is proven that children learn well when they discover things first hand, using their sensory and motor skills. Play is fun, creative and free. There are no boundaries and no chance of failure. This has such a positive effect on a child's confidence and motivation to learn, as it is self-motivated. Children learn under the following areas:

• investigation
• movement 
• schema
• repetition
• communication

 (Ward S, 2013)

           
                 Play results in the development of cognitive, physical, social and cultural skills. I think play is a fundamental element of learning and should be nurtured in young children. Vygotsky once said that children with a vivid imagination are actually intellectually ahead of their peers. (Ward S, 2013) I think this is definitely true, my younger brother has a very vibrant imagination, and succeeds at creating stories in English lessons and making up games between his friends.
                 According to Bruce, play is as a "integrating mechanism". It is the most successful way in which children can achieve the learning mechanism. He argued that play co-ordinates learning for children, and brings together a collaboration of learning. Play allows connections to be made, and develop knowledge they already know. Games are also a way of learning through play. They can develop a child's communication, speech, sense of culture and rules. (Bruce T, 1996)
         
 Play develops various skills under certain areas of development:

1. Cognitive: problem solving, assimilate information, logical thinking and communication
2. Physical: motor skills (gross and fine), coordination, healthy life style, balance, spacial awareness. 
3. Social: confidence, building relationships, creating boundaries, empathy and trust
4. Cultural: acceptance of others, cultural norms, cultural tools 

I found on the TED website, an interesting talk by Stuart Brown. He talks about how there is a deeper meaning to play, it's not just all fun and games, it is deeply involved with human intelligence. He states there are various types of play: social, rough and tumble, exploration, spectator, imaginative/solo and storytelling. Play does a lot for the brain, Brown argues that play is detrimental for our survival. Play is not just in our childhood, it exists throughout our whole life. I think Brown spoke a lot of sense, and looked at play in a very serious way in relation to learning, but also the effect it has on later life.

http://www.ted.com/talks/stuart_brown_says_play_is_more_than_fun_it_s_vital.html

In conclusion, I think the importance of play is vital in creating a learning environment which children can absorb themselves within. If I was a teacher, my main focus would be to make learning fun and exciting, and I would do this using objects which they like, and are relevant to themselves. I would always encourage an imaginative approach, and make the children feel relaxed in a play orientated, learning environment.