Schools and classrooms are important learning area for children, but some tend to forget that playing is also an important learning experience because it teaches children the lessons they don't usually encounter at schools.
Education is really important as it molds a child in many ways, but it does not provide everything a child needs to become well-adjusted and well-rounded. Allowing children to play by themselves mean letting them explore the things they don't see and learn at schools. Free-play is unstructured and unplanned, letting kids use their imagination, learn how to participate, and compromise - yet it is becoming less part of a child's day-to-day life.
According to the South China Morning Post, playing can be defined as a joyful activity providing recreation rather than serious work. It is child-chosen and child-directed, giving children a chance to learn how to negotiate, how to establish certain rules, and how to create social situations in a controlled and safer environment.
For instance, kicking a ball with friends let them creates teamwork by working together and sharing the same goal. Through this, they will able to learn certain skills - including mutual aid, cohesion, and cooperation - which are all important to be successful in school, as well as later on with their life. Playing also creates a bonding experience among children by helping them learn how to make friends and has other benefits, such as lowering stress and helping build muscle control and coordination.
Playing also allows children to give space for cognitive and creative expression since they could start planning, learn to develop problem-solving skills and creativity. These skills are important to big companies as they usually look for employees having such skills.
Moreover, kids who are frequently playing were found to do good academically. They usually pay more attention to lessons after recess after freely choosing their activities. But, it's important to remember that physical education class is not a substitute for free-play since free-play completely springs from the minds of children.
Playing has also been linked to greater development of language skills, improved math skills, and helped them regulate their emotions. Studies have also shown that depriving children into playing increases their chance of developing abnormal behavior, mental health difficulties, and it increases their chance of criminal behavior.
Playing is an important learning experience for children and allowing them to run around at playgrounds with friends could promote healthy growth, and they'll develop skills that would help them grow as happy and healthy adults.
