Playtime is recognized by the Office of the United Nations
High Commission for Human Rights as a right for every child.
Not only is play crucial for your child’s cognitive,
emotional and physical development, it is a chance for them to bond with you,
other family members and their peers.
However, families are spending less and less quality time
together for several reasons, including longer working hours for the parents,
more schoolwork for the children, and the use of TV and video games from a
young age.
In addition, some parents are choosing to restrict playtime
in favor of more academic and enrichment activities, believing that this will
increase their child’s chance of success in life.
Not all activity needs to be focused around education.
Playing just for fun has its own benefits for your child. Here are some of
them.
Play develops a strong imagination
We already know that structured playtime helps children
reach specific physical, cognitive and emotional milestones, but did you know
that unstructured playtime helps to develop essential life skills as well?
Unstructured play has no specific learning objective and is
fully led by your child. Following instructions to build a Lego kit, for
example, is structured play. Building something creative using the same Lego
blocks is unstructured play.
According to a report by the American Academy of Pediatrics
(AAP), this is the key to developing a strong imagination. With child-driven
play, your child learns how to make their own decisions and is free to explore
their own areas of interest. These are essential skills later in life.
Try and find a balance between educational activities (e.g.
playing shop to learn how to count money) and having fun for fun’s sake (e.g.
just playing dress up).
Play reduces stress and builds self-confidence
You may not believe it is possible for your child to be
stressed at such a young age. However, according to the AAP, too much scheduled
activity and not enough downtime can lead to stress or even depression as your
child gets older.
Numerous studies demonstrate that there are psychological
benefits to playtime. Children manage stress better when they are encouraged to
play more often.
Participation in physical activity has also been shown to
build self-confidence, facilitate self-expression and enable social
integration.
Later in life, there is a higher chance that a well-rounded,
physically active child will choose to adopt other healthy behaviours, such as
avoidance of alcohol and drug use.
Play keeps the heart healthy
According to WHO, children aged 5 – 17 should be getting at
least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise a day.
This not only helps to improve their coordination and motor
skills, but also develops healthy bones, muscles, joints and a healthy heart
and lungs.
Physical play is essential to get the heart pumping and
build strong cardiovascular muscles, which helps to lower the risk of heart
disease later in life.
Play helps to prevent obesity
Regular physical activity helps to protect your child from
developing conditions like obesity or diabetes.
Play-based outdoor activities, such as kicking a ball, using
a skipping rope or heading to the local playground, are an ideal way to ensure
your kids keep moving for at least an hour a day.
Play strengthens the bond between you and your child
Studies show levels of the hormone oxytocin, which plays an
important role in social bonding, increases in your and your child’s system
when you play together.
Known as the ‘cuddle hormone’, oxytocin acts as a
neurotransmitter to the brain, increasing feelings of empathy and generosity
and acting as an antidote to sadness. Perhaps this partly explains why playtime
brings us all so much joy.
Article reviewed by Dr. Dacy Wang, Pediatrician at
ParkwayHealth.
For more information or to make an appointment with a Pediatrician, please contact us at 400-819-6622.
Copyright: Health Plus an online health
and wellness web resource developed by Parkway Singapore
References
Barker, J. (2011, September 19). How to Raise Healthy
Children: It’s a Family Affair. Retrieved October 16, 2017, from
https://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/raising-healthy-children#1
Ginsburg, K. R. (2007). The Importance of Play in Promoting
Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds. Pediatrics
119(1).
Lai, Linette. (2017, June 20). Singapore Risks Hitting
Obesity Rates of 15% in Seven Years. Retrieved October 31, 2017, from
http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/singapore-risks-hitting-obesity-rates-of-15-in-seven-years
Ming, T. E. (2016, May 20). Long Working Hours Keep
Singaporeans Apart. Retrieved October 16, 2017, from
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/long-working-hours-keeping-sporean-families-apart-survey
Narvaez, D. (2014, April 8). Why Play with a Child?
Retrieved October 16, 2017, from
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/moral-landscapes/201404/why-play-child
Physical Activity and Young People. (n.d.). Retrieved October 16, 2017, from
http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/factsheet_young_people/ens/
Warner, J. (2006, October 10). Doctor’s Orders: Kids Should Play More. Retrieved October 16, 2017, from https://www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20061010/doctors-orders-kids-should-play-more
What is Oxytocin? (n.d.). Retrieved October 16, 2017, from
https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/oxytocin
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