Childhood play is an important part of every child’s development. This behavior starts in infancy, they begin to explore their world through play. Play behavior serves as an indicator of the child’s cognitive and social development. Research on play and development is essential to helping caregivers understand the importance of childhood play. I will be focusing on the psychological aspects of childhood play behavior and its relation to cognitive development. The purpose of play is to develop intelligence, according to the cognitive development theory. When children play, they learn to solve problems. One of the biggest contributors to understanding play was Jean Piaget. Piaget believed, all people must adapt to the environment through assimilation and accommodation. Piaget said, ”Childhood play is a form of assimilation and any behavior that is done for enjoyment can be defined as play” (1962). Sensorimotor, pre-operational, concrete operational, and formal operational thinking are all stages of cognition developed by Piaget. These stages of development provide a framework for intellectualizing childhood behavior and are made apparent through play. As children grow, they transition through Piaget’s stages of cognitive development and their type of …show more content…
As children develop cognitively the types of play they engage in mirrors this development. This research can be helpful for adults because it gives them insight into how children learn through play (Tsao, 2002). For example, in order to help a child develop their ability to understand the difference between reality and fantasy, pretend games should be encouraged. Parents and teachers can help by giving children toys that require the use of imagination. This includes dress up clothes, play kitchens, and
As children play in the dirt, run through the grass, climb trees, build cars and castles, scribble on paper, or sing songs they are developing learning skills that many are unaware. Many people mistake play as uselessness but through Piaget’s developmental stage theory he shines light on such activities and how each stage enhances children’s learning outcomes throughout life. In this paper I want to look at Piaget’s stage theory definition, identify and describe the developmental characteristics of the preoperational stage, his ideal of how a four year old classroom should be set up for activities that will enhance children’s developmental learning and explore one activity for each developmental domain.
This essay will evaluate how a child’s toy can specifically help them develop with relation to specific theories. The theories of play that will be referred to are Jean Piaget’s, Lev Vygotsky’s and George Herbert Mead’s theories. The Toy that will be assessed is; PlushPups, family bigmouth hand puppets.
All children play and it is something that most children do because they are having fun, but without realising children are developing and learning skills when they are engaged in play. Play helps stimulate the mind as it is practical and gives children the chance to explore and experience new situations. It can also ensure that children get to think by themselves and be spontaneous as they control their own play. Children get the chance to be creative and imaginative which develops independence for children. Play is vital for child development and helps children develop five main areas of development:
In this article, the authors discuss how play influences a child's development in multiple areas.The article begins introducing how play influences the development of a child's social and emotional status; play well with others and learning to cope with feelings,. Then the author transitions into how physical development is also fostered through play. This is done through recess and physical activity where children have the opportunity to be in engaged in play that develops their fine and gross motor skills. Lastly, The author discusses how play also fosters creative development while simultaneously developing physically, socially, and emotionally. This creative development is believed to be developed by the use of a child’s imagination and role playing. The primary thesis discusses the link between child-led play and the normal, healthy development of children.
For all living beings play is an instinctive biological disposition, which helps to facilitate and enrich children’s overall development. As well as play being beneficial in assisting individual lives, many theorists as well as researchers have shown play to form a fundamenta...
The article related to the biological aspect of early childhood discusses the different theories and research based on play from infancy to early childhood. The article includes Piaget’s theory on child play, Sinclair’s Developmental Sequence of Play, Lezine’s Proposed Developmental Sequence of Symbolic Play, and Rosenblatt’s Developmental Taxonomy of Play (Casby 2003). The article begins with Piaget’s observation of play in children and followed by the development of play research done by individuals following Piaget’s study. This review will only focus on Piaget’s observation of symbolic play, which according to Piaget occurs between the toddler years and early childhood.
Many theorists have tried to define play as a concept, however, no two agree on a set definition. Their backgrounds and induvial lifestyles influence the way they see the importance of play. Reed and Brown also believe that there isn’t an agreed definition of play because is something that is felt rather than done (Reed & Brown, 2000 cited in Brock, Dodd’s, Jarvis & Olusoga, 2009). In spite of this, it is clear that most theorists uphold the ethos that play is imperative to a child’s learning and development. There is a wide range of different studies and theories which helps us develop our own perception of what play is. In my personal experience I have found play to be a way of expressive our emotions, exploring and learning new things, thus
Children have a natural inclination to play, alongside a natural instinct to learn and to be curious and inventive, which are characteristics of the human race in general. This quote taken from Janet Moyles is a good starting point for this essay. It is well known that children love to play. If a child were to be left to his/her own devices they would happily play and create new worlds anywhere they were left. It has been well documented and researched that children learn excellently through play. However they are not always given the opportunity to do so, instead being told to, ‘finish your work and then you can go play’. Obviously this is not always the case, but the fact that it is a common practice shows that we do not all fully appreciate the importance of play to children’s learning. This essay will attempt to show how children learn through play, making reference to current theory and practice. I will also give examples from my own first-hand experience of how children learn and develop as people through play.
Play which is often called the ‘work’ of children, is the universal language of childhood, it's how children learn. It's through play that children understand each other and make sense of the world around them. Having time and space to play gives children the opportunity to meet and socialise with their friends, keeps them physically active, and gives the freedom to choose what they want to do. Play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children. Play is more than just fun for babies and children. It’s how they learn best, and how they workout who they are, how the world works and where they fit into it.
‘‘Play is the most ideally effective form of developmental aid because the child becomes familiar with the world, himself, and his limits’’ (Sutton-Smith, 2001)
Play helps to develop each of the five selves of the child by fulfilling the first self, physical development through the promotion of sensorimotor skills and improving fitness and health all around for the children to obtain lower children health diseases like obesity. It also helps develop the second self, cognitive/intellectual through allowing the children to experience their natural environment and develop skills like how to acquire information or skills by observation or asking others through language development. The last three selves social, emotional, and creativity are developed through the prosses of play like pretend play where it can allow the child to express his or her imagination and diverge thinking that can lead to rule
Piaget’s Cognitive theory represents concepts that children learn from interactions within the world around them. He believed that children think and reason at different stages in their development. His stages of cognitive development outline the importance of the process rather the final product. The main concept of this theory reflects the view th...
Play is something every child looks forward to. It is where they will learn valuable skills to aid in the growth of their development. Play can be in many forms for example, purposeful play and child-initiated play. Child initiated play is self explanatory whereas purposeful play is devised and structured by the teachers or parents and it comes with objectives. Children are curious learners and would love to explore and make sense of the things around them. Hence, learning through play and exploration helps them to construct their own knowledge. Other than developing their cognitive skills, learning through play is important as it gives them experiences on how to deal with social and
In early stage of child development, play frequently reinforces the child's physical and cognitive development.
Background: Play is a pivotal part of a child’s life. It fosters creativity, imagination, social connections, and learned behaviours. Play is the activity which can be defined as “a range of voluntary, intrinsically motivated activities that are normally associated with pleasure and enjoyment.” Play can also be considered a rehearsal for acting-out real life events- such can be seen when children play house or school. For children, play is a critical element of growing up. Ginsburg (2007), stated that childhood play is essential for helping children reach important social, emotional, and cognitive developmental stages. Play also helps children dispose of abundant amount of energy and excitement. Play is often undervalued