Importance of Play For Learning, Emotional Regulation, and the Development of Friendships Cynthia L. Divino, Ph.D. Boulder Institute for ...

Importance	
  of	
  Play	
  
  For	
  Learning,	
  Emotional	
  Regulation,	
  and	
  the	
  
             Development	
  of	
  Friendships	
  
                 Cynthia	
  L.	
  Divino,	
  Ph.D.	
  
Boulder	
  Institute	
  for	
  Psychotherapy	
  and	
  Research	
  

Play	
  Prepares	
  Children	
  for	
  Life	
  

Play	
  is	
  the	
  work	
  of	
  children	
  

* Practice	
  survival	
  skills	
  

Play	
  is	
  the	
  Way	
  Children	
  Learn	
  About	
  
                       the	
  World	
  

* Children	
  integrate	
  new	
  
  learning	
  through	
  play	
  

Play	
  Helps	
  Resolve	
  Challenging	
  
                 Experiences	
  

* Effective	
  for	
  working	
  
     through	
  frightening	
  or	
  
     troubling	
  experiences	
  

Play	
  is	
  the	
  Language	
  of	
  Children	
  

* Children	
  will	
  often	
  be	
  able	
  
  to	
  express	
  things	
  through	
  
  play	
  that	
  they	
  cannot	
  
  express	
  in	
  words	
  

Stages	
  of	
  Play	
  Development	
  

* 	
  Onlooker	
  Behavior:	
  
  Watching	
  what	
  other	
  
  children	
  are	
  doing,	
  but	
  
  not	
  joining	
  in	
  the	
  play	
  	
  

Stages	
  of	
  Play	
  Development	
  

* Solitary	
  Play:	
  Playing	
  
  alone	
  without	
  regard	
  for	
  
  others;	
  being	
  involved	
  in	
  
  independent	
  activities	
  like	
  
  art	
  or	
  playing	
  with	
  blocks	
  
  or	
  other	
  materials	
  	
  

Stages	
  of	
  Play	
  Development	
  

* Parallel	
  Activity:	
  Playing	
  
  near	
  others	
  but	
  not	
  
  interacting,	
  even	
  when	
  
  using	
  the	
  same	
  play	
  
  materials	
  	
  

Stages	
  of	
  Play	
  Development	
  

* Associative	
  Play:	
  Playing	
  
  in	
  small	
  groups	
  with	
  no	
  
  definite	
  rules	
  or	
  assigned	
  
  roles	
  	
  

Stages	
  of	
  Play	
  Development	
  

* Cooperative	
  Play:	
  
  Deciding	
  to	
  work	
  
  together	
  to	
  complete	
  a	
  
  building	
  project	
  or	
  
  pretend	
  play	
  with	
  
  assigned	
  roles	
  for	
  all	
  of	
  
  the	
  members	
  of	
  the	
  
  group	
  	
  

Play	
  and	
  Physical	
  Development	
  

* Tied	
  to:	
  	
  
    *   improvements	
  in	
  coordination	
  
    *   Motor	
  planning	
  
    *   Better	
  fine	
  motor	
  and	
  gross	
  motor	
  skills	
  
    *   Strength	
  

Play	
  and	
  Executive	
  Functioning	
  

* More	
  time	
  in	
  less-­‐structured	
  activities	
  led	
  to	
  children	
  
  who	
  had	
  more	
  highly	
  developed	
  executive	
  
  functioning	
  which	
  is	
  tied	
  to:	
  
       *   Planning	
  
       *   Decision-­‐making	
  and	
  Judgment	
  	
  
       *   Manipulating	
  Information	
  
       *   Switching	
  between	
  tasks	
  
       *   Inhibiting	
  unwanted	
  thoughts	
  and	
  feelings	
  
       *   Better	
  attention	
  and	
  concentration	
  

Play	
  and	
  Academics	
  

* Thematic	
  Fantasy	
  Play	
  and	
  Story	
  Comprehension	
  
     (Pellegrini	
  &	
  Galda)	
  
* Language	
  development	
  more	
  closely	
  tied	
  to	
  parents	
  
     playing	
  with	
  children	
  but	
  cooperative	
  play	
  allows	
  
     children	
  to	
  practice	
  language	
  
* More	
  active	
  engagement	
  tied	
  to	
  better	
  learning	
  
     outcomes,	
  play	
  facilitates	
  that	
  process	
  
	
  

Play	
  and	
  Social	
  Success	
  

* Werner	
  Grave:	
  
  * Social	
  success	
  in	
  adulthood	
  tied	
  to	
  unstructured	
  free	
  
    play	
  time	
  in	
  childhood	
  

The	
  Role	
  of	
  Fantasy	
  Play	
  in	
  Problem	
  
                     Resolution	
  

 * Allows	
  you	
  to	
  see	
  various	
  outcomes	
  
 * Allows	
  a	
  child	
  to	
  play	
  out	
  consequences	
  
 * Allows	
  a	
  child	
  to	
  imagine	
  the	
  future	
  and	
  recognize	
  
   what	
  it	
  might	
  take	
  to	
  get	
  there	
  
 * Allows	
  an	
  escape	
  when	
  they	
  may	
  need	
  that	
  as	
  a	
  
   resource	
  

Play	
  and	
  the	
  Parent-­‐Child	
  
                    Relationship	
  

* A	
  strong,	
  secure,	
  parent-­‐child	
  relationship	
  underlies	
  	
  
* Compliance	
  with	
  parental	
  requests	
  
* Self-­‐regulation	
  and	
  self-­‐control	
  to	
  the	
  extent	
  that	
  the	
  
  parent	
  is	
  modeling	
  those	
  behaviors	
  
* Language	
  development	
  and	
  early	
  reading	
  skills	
  
* The	
  ability	
  to	
  engage	
  in	
  fantasy	
  play	
  

Learning	
  About	
  Your	
  Child	
  Through	
  
      Their	
  Play	
  or	
  Drawings	
  

* Watch	
  for	
  themes—Hero	
  themes,	
  scary	
  themes,	
  
  nurturing	
  themes,	
  etc.	
  	
  	
  
* Helps	
  you	
  understand	
  what	
  they	
  are	
  currently	
  
  working	
  to	
  assimilate	
  	
  
* Watch	
  for	
  choices	
  of	
  play	
  materials	
  

Tips	
  for	
  Playing	
  With	
  Your	
  Child	
  

* Let	
  your	
  child	
  explore.	
  	
  It	
  will	
  be	
  much	
  more	
  gratifying	
  
  if	
  they	
  can	
  figure	
  things	
  out	
  
* Watch	
  for	
  frustration	
  and	
  give	
  small	
  bits	
  of	
  help	
  so	
  
  that	
  most	
  of	
  the	
  accomplishments	
  are	
  their	
  own	
  
       * What	
  do	
  you	
  need	
  to	
  make	
  this	
  work?	
  
       * Do	
  you	
  think	
  ____	
  would	
  help?	
  
* The	
  younger	
  the	
  child	
  is,	
  the	
  more	
  guidance	
  you	
  may	
  
  give	
  them	
  

More	
  Tips	
  

* If	
  a	
  child	
  can	
  do	
  it	
  themselves	
  encourage	
  that	
  
* Teach	
  the	
  concept	
  of	
  fantasy	
  play	
  and	
  then	
  let	
  the	
  child	
  
  run	
  with	
  it.	
  	
  Try	
  not	
  to	
  interject	
  your	
  ideas	
  too	
  often,	
  unless	
  
  your	
  child	
  runs	
  into	
  problems	
  	
  
* Playing	
  board	
  games	
  teaches	
  good	
  sportsmanship,	
  playing	
  
  by	
  the	
  rules	
  and	
  not	
  cheating,	
  turn	
  taking,	
  patience,	
  
  frustration	
  tolerance	
  
* Children	
  whose	
  parents	
  	
  play	
  sports	
  with	
  their	
  children	
  
  more	
  likely	
  to	
  be	
  active	
  which	
  is	
  tied	
  to	
  better	
  health	
  
  outcomes	
  	
  

Toys	
  that	
  Encourage	
  Brain	
  
                   Development	
  

* Stay	
  away	
  from	
  toys	
  that	
  do	
  just	
  one	
  thing	
  or	
  are	
  too	
  
  complicated.	
  
* Do	
  get	
  toys	
  that	
  encourage	
  your	
  child’s	
  imagination	
  
  or	
  that	
  can	
  be	
  used	
  for	
  many	
  things.	
  	
  
        * Wooden	
  blocks,	
  legos,	
  dress-­‐ups,	
  dolls,	
  cars,	
  even	
  action	
  
          figures	
  
* Simple	
  art	
  materials	
  that	
  encourage	
  creativity	
  
        * Crayons,	
  markers,	
  chalk,	
  colored	
  pencils,	
  paper	
  

For	
  Older	
  Children	
  

* Use	
  your	
  child’s	
  interest	
  as	
  a	
  guide.	
  	
  Children	
  can	
  learn	
  
  amazing	
  things	
  about	
  chemistry,	
  history,	
  physics,	
  
  math,	
  and	
  reading	
  if	
  you	
  tailor	
  these	
  these	
  things	
  to	
  
  their	
  interests	
  

The	
  Issue	
  of	
  Too	
  Many	
  Toys	
  

* Less	
  is	
  More!!!!	
  
* Curbing	
  your	
  own	
  excitement	
  about	
  buying,	
  
     overzealous	
  grandparents,	
  	
  
* Rainy	
  day	
  or	
  busy	
  day	
  toys	
  
* Circulate	
  toys	
  
* Boxes,	
  string,	
  etc.	
  
	
  

Helping	
  Children	
  Play	
  by	
  Themselves	
  

 * Don’t	
  give	
  the	
  child	
  the	
  idea	
  that	
  it	
  is	
  your	
  job	
  to	
  
      entertain	
  them	
  
 * Encourage	
  solitary	
  play	
  at	
  times	
  
 * Build	
  up	
  from	
  small	
  periods	
  of	
  solitary	
  play	
  to	
  longer	
  
      and	
  longer	
  periods	
  
 	
  

I’m	
  Bored!	
  

* Bored	
  is	
  a	
  word	
  that	
  is	
  substituted	
  for	
  many	
  other	
  
  feelings	
  especially	
  feeling	
  uncomfortable	
  with	
  a	
  
  situation	
  or	
  feeling	
  anxious	
  
* Is	
  your	
  child	
  really	
  needing	
  your	
  attention?	
  
* Ask	
  your	
  child	
  to	
  go	
  to	
  their	
  room	
  and	
  find	
  three	
  
  things	
  they	
  might	
  to	
  

Video	
  Games/Screens	
  

* How	
  much	
  is	
  too	
  much?	
  
* What	
  kinds	
  of	
  games?	
  
* Teaching	
  self-­‐control	
  with	
  addictive	
  behaviors