Play There is substantial evidence that play is vital for the mental and physical health of children and adults as well as enhancing cognitive, social and learning abilities.

An evolutionary perspective

Play probably appeared with the arrival of the first warm-blooded creatures on the earth and from an evolutionary perspective, play would not have persisted, given its high energy usage, if it were not essential to survival. [1]  True play is playing with reality. True play, with its imaginative base, creates resilience, adaptability, endurance and the ability to place longer-term objectives ahead of immediate reward. [2]  It is intrinsically motivated because it is fun, exciting and rewarding, and children go to great lengths to create successful play. [3]

Learning

Play allows us to understand our experiences, develop new skills and understand new concepts at our own pace, without the risk of failure [4] and studies show a positive correlation between play and IQ, creativity levels and social skills [5].

Stress reduction

Play assists relaxation and stress relief with greater learning occuring when we are relaxed. Research shows that daily yoga relaxation practices by school children resulted in reduced muscle tension and improved awareness, concentration, memory and cognitive adaptation. [6]  Dr Ramesh Manocha states that play is a form of meditation:

“Observe closely the next small child you encounter. They have no worried lines on their faces, are almost always playing and enjoying themselves … They are in a constant state of effortless meditation.” [7]

Social development

Play enhances social development as children use it to discover how to resolve their social dilemmas and maintain relationships. They find solutions to problems without the need to use force or to retreat from a situation but develop teamwork, self-control and find ways to behave that satisfy all involved [8]

Play empowers children and provides a cathartic affect. Children need to experience power during play to reverse their normal position of helplessness in an adult world and they enjoy agendas that allow them to witness adult’s misfortunes because this turns the world of adults upside-down and empowers them.  [9]

Play can also be a non-violent outlet for anger and aggression that reduces real violence and helps accept the constraints and laws of society [10].

Play deprivation

After extensive research, the team who investigated the Texas Tower mass murderer, Charles Whitman, concluded that play deprivation in childhood was the major factor and that play deprivation leads to social and personal breakdown in adults. Further research found that in young male murderers, who had previously committed no other crimes, 90% had been physically abused as children and had been either play deprived or had play abnormalities. Studies of drivers where culpable fatalities had occurred found that while abuse was not involved, 70% were play deprived or had play abnormalities as children. [11]

Health

Hospital pediatric departments recognise that play assists in the healing process and reintroducing play to depressed and stressed children and adults promotes healing. Rich and varied play in childhood provides coping mechanisms for stressful experiences and these mechanisms continue to function throughout life. [12]

Play is important for balanced development in both children and adults and its regular practice through life correlates with curiosity, flexibility, social ability and good health [13].

Given the evidence available, it is reasonable to assume that ordinary play may well be essential for the continuance of society as we know it.

© Copyright 2005 Meghan Stevens

Footnotes