The Importance of Play for Family Development
Submitted by Justice Thompson and Brooklyn Heide from the YMCA of Lethbridge
Think back to when you were a child, do you remember the times when your parents or guardians took the time out of their day to play with you? Do you remember how it made you feel? Playing with your child/children has many benefits, but they all come back to how it promotes family development. As a parent, you are your child's biggest and most influential teacher, playing with them will help them learn to socialize as well as communicate in a heathy and appropriate manner, express their feelings and gain confidence. Playing with your child/children at home also builds their awareness of society works and expectations. It is stated that “play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth. Play also offers an ideal opportunity for parents to engage fully with their children” (Ginsburg, 2007). By playing with your children, you are helping in the growth of your child, as well as your family system.
Playing helps you get down to your child's level and engage in their world, helping you use your knowledge and help them learn in a way that is easy to understand; and more fun for both of you! For, “it is through play that children at a very early age engage and interact with the world around them” (Ginsburg, 2007). Your child is a little human and involving yourself in their imagination and play will help you learn their personality and who they are as a person, which in turn will strengthen your bond with them. Playing with your children offers space where you will be able to correct behavior in a natural way and help them learn in a way that they will remember. Playing with your child and letting them lead the play and choose what to do allows “children practice decision-making skills, move at their own pace, discover their own areas of interest, and ultimately engage fully in the passions they wish to pursue” (Ginsburg, 2007).
There are 5 approaches to play provided to us by the BC government; they mention that adults can approach play through “free play- help and support, provide time, space, and things to play with. Inquiry play-encourage and support children’s explorations in play. Collaborative play-take opportunities to enter children’s play and incorporate skill practice. Playful learning supports play experiences that incorporate specific skills. Learning games allow children to try specific activities and focused activities to use skills like literacy and numeracy” (BC Ministry of Education, 2020). In each approach the parent can be the “respectful observer and helper or leaders and directors of play” (BC Ministry of Education, 2020). These 5 approaches allow parents/guardian to engage with their child/children in play, and our community has many places and programs that support play.
Lethbridge plays is a great resource to find places, programs, and ideas for play. There are many programs that support Lethbridge plays, the encourage play for all ages, one of those places is the Cor Van Raay YMCA on the west side of Lethbridge. The YMCA has different opportunities for families to play together, all those opportunities are listed on the Website: YMCA of Lethbridge – Building Better Communities (lethbridgeymca.ca).
Sources:
British Columbia Ministry of Education. (2020). Play today: a guide for families. Ministry of Education. Play Today: A Guide for Families (gov.bc.ca)
Connections CFC. (2019, September 30). Family play time: why it's important & how to do it. Connections Child and Family Center. Retrieved, July 14, 2022 from Family Play Time: Why It’s Important & How to Do It - Connections Child & Family Center (connectionsfamilycenter.com) Ginsburg, K. R. (2007).
The importance of play in promoting healthy child development and maintaining strong parent-child bonds. American Academy of Pediatrics, 119(1), 182-191. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2006-2697
Photo: https://pixabay.com/photos/family-game-fun-outdoors-playing-4477874/