Successful play as easy as falling off a log

Every parent wishes the best for their child, but in a cost-of-living crisis they are more likely to be concerned about the price of family essentials, and toys might be a luxury they can no longer afford. But this shouldn’t mean children miss out on play – a crucial part of growing up which research tells us is crucial to brain development.

Animal and human studies point to the powerful role play has in forming connections in the brain. In rats, play appears to create lasting changes in areas of the brain related to thinking and interacting socially, stimulating production of new brain cells and the connections between them.

Similar effects have been seen in human brain-imaging studies, which demonstrate that babies and preschoolers who were played with by a sensitive and responsive parent had higher grey-matter volume.

Research into play tells us a number of important things. In our new evidence brief, Ahead of the game: why play is the key to children’s future success, we look at how optimal play experiences drive brain growth and shape brain development in ways that enhance children’s potential for future success.

In technical terms, play has a major role in endowing children with well-developed executive functions, a set of cognitive processes that are prerequisites for the complex skills needed for problem-solving and critical thinking. Children with strong executive functions are cognitively equipped to plan ahead, focus their attention, and control impulsive behaviours.
 

There are myriad types of play and consistent benefits have been found from interactive parent-child play, physical and outdoor play, rough and tumble and pretend and imaginary play. For example, responsive parent-child play such as telling stories has been linked with higher levels of self-control in New Zealand babies and preschoolers in the Growing Up in New Zealand study.

Play also has a fundamental role in teaching children to collaborate, co-operate and negotiate, to have empathy for others and to practise real-life scenarios, such as pretending to be a doctor and patient and playing out the social rules and expectations associated with each role. Solitary play such as reading or doing a puzzle helps children develop their own interests, fostering independence and good self-esteem. Learning how to find solutions to things on their own promotes the development of initiative, persistence and self-confidence.

The value of falling off a log

Within a short time of entering the world, a baby and their caregivers can embark on a journey of interaction, bonding and learning. The name for this very early form of play is ‘serve and return’ – a bit like tennis without needing the gear. This is focused, two-way communication where one player ‘serves’ – using cues such as sounds, smiles and gestures – and the other person responds, such as hitting the tennis ball back over the net.

Physical play lets children explore how their bodies move, and exposes them to natural forces such as gravity. This helps them make sense of abstract ideas they will learn about later in their education. Climbing, jumping and balancing teaches them to prepare for the unexpected and to know their limits. In this way they develop autonomy, confidence and a sense of agency as well as improving their physical fitness and ability.

We learn by taking a few risks. Even falling out of a tree – so long as no lasting harm is done – is an important learning opportunity. Riskier play can give children a sense of exhilaration, but also of fear and frustration when things don’t go to plan. Play provides an excellent environment for learning how to deal with these kinds of emotions.

Play is a fundamental part of growing up yet needn’t cost much money. Effective play is possible with inexpensive toys and everyday objects such as blocks and balls, pots and pans, and natural resources like sticks and pinecones. Adults don’t need to come up with all the ideas either – children benefit from plenty of undirected, child-led play. It may look to us like they’re simply messing around, but when kids are allowed to explore on their own they are expanding their imagination and creativity while learning autonomy and confidence to encounter and manage the unexpected.

Play is also good for parents and wider whānau. In a Lego Foundation survey of 57,000 children and grown-ups last year, 87 percent of adults said play helps them to relax and 95 percent felt it improved family wellbeing and created stronger bonds.

Of course, not every family has equal access to play’s bonding, developmental and learning benefits. Often – and perhaps more so now than ever – many caregivers are spending every waking moment making ends meet leaving no time for the playground. Or they’re too stressed to be coming up with creative play ideas for the kids. For some families, gardens and other safe outdoor spaces suitable for play and exploration are hard to come by.

Three areas of social policy have the potential to make access more equitable: improved paid parental leave, better access to mental health treatment and support and increasing home ownership rates so families can settle in an area and build community bonds.

We also need to support community-led initiatives that bring play activities and events to local public spaces. In addition, lower-cost provision of early childhood education would give more children entry to play-rich environments. At school, play makes learning fun, motivating, and engaging. In a climate of increasing concern about literacy and numeracy rates, it is vital schools retain a focus on play-based learning for children of all ages.

For further reading on play and its importance for children’s development and future wellbeing, see Informed Futures