Benefits of open-ended, unstructured playtime

Play is fun for children, but it is a serious business when it comes to their health and development. From peek-a-boo as a toddler to jigsaw puzzles, dolls and toy trains as an older child, play enriches not only their lives at the moment, but their brain development and a whole host of other things, too. But, what is play, exactly? According to an American Academy of Paediatrics report, “The Power of Play: A Paediatric Role in Enhancing Development in Young Children,” play is an activity that involves active engagement and results in joyful discovery. It is fun and spontaneous, and involves creating an imaginative reality that contains elements of make-believe. It’s not about passively watching the television or computer screen, and it’s not about the latest and greatest technical bells and whistles on a smartphone. It’s about simplicity, imagination and the unstructured time to create. Here are just a few benefits:

• Amplifies creative role play and inspired storytelling.
• Models “cause and effect.”
• Develops critical thinking skills.
• Improves abilities to plan.
• Helps with language and math development.
• Encourages and deepens relationships with siblings, friends and adults, creating the foundation for more healthy relationships in the future.
• Fosters curiosity.
• Encourages problem solving, collaboration and creativity.
• Helps children manage stress.

Inspiring play is as simple as providing the unstructured time and space. So, whether it’s brightly coloured toys for an infant, showing a mirror to an older child to explore her own expressions, reading to children of all ages, giving your child simple toys like blocks, wooden toys, puzzles or a train set - providing your child the opportunity for a daily dose of play is the right prescription for his or her development.