Playing Is Important To The Optimal Development of Children

Playing is essential to the healthy development of children. It is through playing that children widen their imagination, use their creativity, interact and explore the world around them.

According to Science Daily, Dr. Rebecca J. Bulotsky-Shearer, an associate professor of Psychology at the University of Miami (UM) College of Arts and Sciences, and her team led a research that centers in the social and emotional development among children particularly those who are experiencing poverty and any form of crisis.

The researchers assessed the Latino children with low-income households in the Miami-Dade community. Aware of their condition and the level of poverty these Latino children face, they focused their study on the strengths of these children while in their preschool.

"There are a couple of studies that we have been working on that show peer social competence is a strength of young children. We wanted to demonstrate this strength in the Latino children we work with in the Head Start program here in Florida. One of the measures we've been collecting is on children's play in the classroom, which is very important for learning during preschool," Dr.Bulotsky-Shearer said.

The team wants to advocate children's play in the classroom. In their study, they used the Penn Interaction Peer Play Scale (PIPPS) to measure the peer play behavior. These included the Play Interaction such as sharing, encouragement and collaborative play; the Play Disruption that refers to antisocial and aggressive behaviors; and the Play Disconnection that displays withdrawn behavior during play.

The outcome of the study shows that the Latino children have a high level of interactive peer play in a helpful learning environment. The Latin children in low-income households were motivated, engaged and sociable.

AAP Gateway states that the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights recognized playing as the right of each child whether the child is living in poverty or who has abundant resources. Each child deserves exploring his environment and unleashing his abilities. This also lets him or her to completely gain the benefits of related play from a naïve joy -- a treasured part of his or her childhood to the optimal development of his well-being.