Why do children play?
-
Von
Vanessa M.
Why do children play? The relevance of play
Play is typically immediately associated with children, but is by no means limited to them. It seems to be in our blood and can even be observed among animals. But why do people play? An important goal of play is the transmission of cultural content and the passing on of values that are essential for the functioning of a society. Role-playing games and the stories they tell through play also give adults and children the opportunity to develop their creativity and express their own feelings and thoughts.
Play also serves to practice skills that are essential for life and survival and invites kids to explore their environment, learn and gain experience in interpersonal interaction.
In the following article, we answer the question "Why do children play?" in more detail, focusing on the importance of children's play for child development.
What is encouraged when playing?
Why is playing important for children? Anyone who observes children at play will quickly find an obvious answer: because it's fun. But the true importance of play for a child's development goes far beyond this. Games with children are learning tools that initiate age-appropriate learning and expansion of cognitive, social, emotional and physical skills. At the same time, playing together promotes bonding, helps to reduce stress and goes hand in hand with the development of thinking skills.
As you can see, the actual answer to the question "Why do children play?" is multifaceted. We will now discuss the most central aspects in detail:
Playing promotes health
Playing with children is important for their health. This is especially true for games that get your child moving. Movement games, such as children's vehicles, increase physical activity, which is of course beneficial to health. For example, when your child goes on tour with a bike or the BIG Bobby Car Next, they playfully improve their motor skills and coordination, train their spatial perception, strengthen their leg muscles and build up endurance.
They can also do something good for their physical health with outdoor toys and sledges, all year round! In summer, classic garden toys, such as the Fun Slide, encourage children to get moving, while the Bobby Bob Wild Spider snow bob ensures that the joy of movement is not lost even in the winter months. Thanks to such well thought-out movement toys, you can easily integrate more movement into your child's everyday life. This actively prevents obesity and supports healthy child development.
Playing promotes creativity
The importance of play in education extends beyond the purely physical stimulation effects to the development of creativity and imagination. In this context, role play is particularly important. Why do children play with each other in such a way that they slip into different roles and briefly assume different identities? This is partly because role play is a way in which your child learns to understand the world. For example, by imitating their parents in the "father-mother-child" game, they deal with situations they experience in everyday life in a child-friendly way.
Creative role play can of course also take place outdoors, which in turn benefits health. A variety of outdoor play ideas can be realized with sand and water toys. Whether your child is at the wheel of the Power Worker Mini Excavator opening a construction site in the blue sand and water shell, or as a ferrywoman or ferryman on the Waterplay Niagara water ride, your child can explore their imagination by acting out creative stories that spring directly from their child's fantasy. Depending on the play scenario, they can develop a wide range of other skills and practise problem-solving and interpersonal skills, for example.
Playing encourages the expression of emotions
What can you play with children to encourage them on an emotional level? The possibilities are endless! Ultimately, the question "Why do children play?" can also be answered by the fact that play offers kids space to explore their own emotional world. While children learn from an early age that they cannot give free rein to their emotions in every situation, games and movement challenges are ideal for taking a closer look at their emotional experience and giving expression to a wide range of feelings.
In addition to motor skills, climbing toys also make a fantastic contribution to children's emotional development by offering safe challenges that boost self-confidence and independence. When climbing, kids set themselves goals and overcome their fears. These experiences promote their resilience and expand their emotional skills.
Playing is learning: the educational value of play
As a parent, you can observe day after day just how far-reaching the importance of play is for a child's development, also in terms of its concrete educational value. After all, your child is constantly acquiring skills through daily play that will be of great benefit to them in life. For example, if they play with friends, they improve their communication skills, practise listening and gain valuable experience in teamwork. On the other hand, if they play a board game that follows a specific set of rules, they learn to understand rules and follow instructions. Different types of games encourage your child on different levels. Overall, games can provide your child with comprehensive support in their development.
The educational value of games is particularly evident in toys that aim to teach your child specific skills, such as letters or numbers.
This also includes toys that specifically address motor skills or improve language skills, whereby the promotion of play can hardly begin too early. Your child can benefit from carefully selected baby and toddler toys from the age of just a few months.
Conclusion: Why do children play
The short answer to the question "Why do children play?" is: because they learn the skills they need to survive and thrive through play. For children, play is a tool with which they can explore the world, develop and learn. Accordingly, the importance of play for a child's development is enormous. For parents and educators, this means that they should make it as easy as possible for children to play different games and encourage kids who don't play much of their own accord to try them out. This can be done, for example, by offering toys that are suitable for the age of the respective child and by suggesting game ideas that pick up on their individual interests. In this way, you can motivate children to discover learning through play and have fun preparing for life.
Are you looking for toys for lots of entertaining and stimulating playtime? Then you shouldn't miss out on the BIG Shop. Discover our colorful selection and get to know toys that leave no doubt about the relevance of play.