The Importance of Play in

Early Childhood Development

by Jona K. Anderson-McNamee, MSU Extension Family and Consumer
Science Agent, Cascade County, and Sandra J. Bailey, Family and Human
Development Specialist, MSU
Play is essential for a child’s development and for learning life skills. While
the information in this publication is specifically for parents, the information
applies to other adults including grandparents, extended family members and
MontGuide child care providers that have opportunities to affect the play of children.

MT201003HR New 4/10

PLAY IS A CHILD’S WORK. PLAY IS IMPORTANT Playing With Your Child

for children’s development and for children to bond. It In today’s world of balancing work and home schedules,
offers a chance to connect with your child. You are your parents find it hard to have quality time with their children.
child’s first teacher and much of that teaching happens It is essential for parents to make the best use of time they
through play. Play helps your child learn the rules of your have with their children. Your child needs time with you to
family and what is expected of him or her. As children grow, relax and play.
play helps them learn how to act in society. Playing with children builds lasting bonds. Playing
Parents need to make time to play with their children. allows parents to appreciate the uniqueness of each child.
You start to play when your child is an infant. When your Playing with children can also be a stress reducer for over-
baby starts to smile and you worked parents. Laughing
smile back, you are engaging and relaxing are important to
in play. Play is directed by “When you asked me what I did in school today
your own well-being.
the child and the rewards and I say, 'I just played.' Please don’t misunderstand Try to spend individual
come from within the me. For you see, I am learning as I play. I am time with each of your
child. Play is enjoyable and learning to enjoy and be successful in my work. children. When a parent or
spontaneous. Play helps your sibling plays a board game
Today I am a child and my work is play.”
child learn social and motor with a child, shares a bike
skills and cognitive thinking. Anita Wadley, 1974.
ride, plays baseball, or reads a
Children also learn by story, the child learns
playing with others. You self-importance. Your child's self-esteem gets a boost. You
provide the setting for your child to play with others. As are sending positive messages to your child when you spend
your children grow, you provide toys, materials, and sports quality playtime with him. From these early interactions,
equipment so that they can play with others. It is important children develop a vision of the world and gain a sense of
that children learn that play is important throughout life. their place in it.
Play is needed for healthy development for your child. Family activities are important for the whole family. They
Research shows that 75 percent of brain development occurs help develop strong family bonds, which can last a lifetime.
after birth. Play helps with that development by stimulating Families who play together are more cooperative, supportive
the brain through the formation of connections between and have better communication. Have movie nights and
nerve cells. This process helps with the development of fine game nights, or go for walks together. A game night allows
and gross motor skills. Fine motor skills are actions such parents to teach children to take turns, how to win, how to
as being able to hold a crayon or pencil. Gross motor skills lose and methods of sequencing events. Listening to music
are actions such as jumping or running. Play also helps together by singing along, or playing rhythm instruments
your child to develop language and socialization skills. Play will help children to listen for and recognize patterns in
allows children to learn to communicate emotions, to think, music, which will assist with math skills in school. If you
be creative and solve problems. are a single parent or have only one child, invite family and
friends over to play.

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 Today, children of all ages are exposed to technology Associative play: When your children are around three
such as computers and videos. Children who spend most of to four years of age, they become more interested in other
their time using technology often are not physically active children than the toys. Your child has started to socialize
or using their imagination. You can help your child by with other children. This play is sometimes referred to
reducing screen time. Limit screen time to no more than two as “loosely organized play.” Associative play helps your
hours per day. Make sure your child gets a minimum of one preschooler learn the do's and don'ts of getting along
hour of physical exercise everyday. with others. Associative play teaches the art of sharing,
You have important roles in play. You can encourage play encourages language development, problem-solving skills
by providing interesting materials that promote exploration and cooperation. In associative play, groups of children have
and learning. Playing with your child helps him learn how to similar goals. They do not set rules, although they all want
manipulate toys and other play materials by modeling your to be playing with the same types of toys and may even trade
actions. toys. There is no formal organization.
Social play: Children around the age of three are
Types of Play beginning to socialize with other children. By interacting
As your child grows and develops, his or her play evolves. with other children in play settings, your child learns social
Certain types of play are associated with, but not restricted rules such as give and take and cooperation. Children are
to, specific age groups. able to share toys and ideas. They are beginning to learn
Unoccupied play: In the early months of infancy, to use moral reasoning to develop a sense of values. To be
from birth to about three months, your child is busy in prepared to function in the adult world, children need to
unoccupied play. Children seem to be making random experience a variety of social situations.
movements with no clear purpose, but this is the initial form Motor - Physical Play: When children run, jump, and
of playing. play games such as hide and seek and tag they engage in
Solitary play: From three to 18 months, babies will spend physical play. Physical play offers a chance for children to
much of their time playing on their own. During solitary exercise and develop muscle strength. Physically playing with
play, children are very busy with play and they may not seem your child teaches social skills while enjoying good exercise.
to notice other children sitting or playing nearby. They are Your child will learn to take turns and accept winning or
exploring their world by watching, grabbing and rattling losing.
objects. Solitary play begins in infancy and is common in Constructive Play: In this type of play, children create
toddlers. This is because of toddlers’ limited social, cognitive, things. Constructive play starts in infancy and becomes
and physical skills. However, it is important for all age more complex as your child grows. This type of play starts
groups to have some time to play by themselves. with your baby putting things in his/her mouth to see how
Onlooker play. Onlooker play happens most often during they feel and taste. As a toddler, children begin building
the toddler years. This is where the child watches other with blocks, playing in sand, and drawing. Constructive
children play. Children are learning how to relate to others play allows children to explore objects and discover patterns
and learning language. Although children may ask questions to find what works and what does not work. Children gain
of other children, there is no effort to join the play. This type pride when accomplishing a task during constructive play.
of play usually starts during toddler years but can take place Children who gain confidence manipulating objects become
at any age. good at creating ideas and working with numbers and
Parallel play: From the age of 18 months to two years, concepts.
children begin to play alongside other children without any Expressive Play. Some types of play help children learn
interaction. This is called parallel play. Parallel play provides to express feelings. Here parents can use many different
your toddler with opportunities for role-playing such as materials. Materials may include paints, crayons, colored
dressing up and pretending. It also helps children gain the pencils and markers for drawing pictures or writing. It
understanding of the idea of property right such as “mine.” can also include such items as clay, water, and sponges to
They begin to show their need of being with other children experience different textures. Beanbags, pounding benches,
their own age. Parallel play is usually found with toddlers, and rhythm instruments are other sources of toys for
although it happens in any age group. expressive play. You can take an active role in expressive play
by using the materials alongside your child.

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 Fantasy Play: Children learn to try new roles and Unstructured play may lead to more physical movement and
situations, experiment with languages and emotions with healthier children.
fantasy play. Children learn to think and create beyond their Play is important when your child enters school. Play can
world. They assume adult roles and learn to think in abstract assist children in adjusting to a school setting. It enhances
methods. Children stretch their imaginations and use new children’s learning readiness and their cognitive development
words and numbers to express concepts, dreams and history. by allowing them to move from subject and area without
Cooperative play: Cooperative play begins in the late of the fear of failure. Playtime in school such as recess time,
preschool period. The play is organized by group goals. allows learning and practicing of basic social skills. Children
There is at least one leader, and children are definitely in or develop a sense of self, learn to interact with other children,
out of the group. When children move from a self-centered how to make friends, and the importance of role-playing.
world to an understanding of the importance of social Exploratory play in school allows children time to discover
contracts and rules, they begin to play games with rules. and manipulate their surroundings.
Part of this development occurs when they learn games such
as Follow the Leader, Simon Says, and team sports. Games Conclusion
with rules teach children the concept that life has rules that Play is an essential and critical part of all children's
everyone must follow. development. Play starts in the child's infancy and ideally,
continues throughout his or her life. Play is how children
Benefits of Play learn to socialize, to think, to solve problems, to mature
There are many benefits to play. Children gain knowledge and most importantly, to have fun. Play connects children
through their play. They learn to think, remember, and solve with their imagination, their environment, their parents and
problems. Play gives children the opportunity to test their family and the world.
beliefs about the world. Parental involvement in a child's world of play is not
Children increase their problem-solving abilities through only beneficial for the child but is extremely beneficial to the
games and puzzles. Children involved in make-believe parent. Playing with children establishes and strengthens
play can stimulate several types of learning. Children can bonds that will last forever. Parent-child play opens doors for
strengthen their language skills by modeling other children the sharing of values, increases communication, allows for
and adults. Playing house helps children create stories about teachable moments and assists in problem solving. Playtime
their roles, such as “I am the Mom.” They also imitate their provides opportunities for the parent and child to confront
own family experiences. This helps children learn about the and resolve individual differences, as well as family related
different roles of family members. concerns and issues. Finally, it allows the parent to view the
Children gain an understanding of size, shape, and world through the eyes of a child once again.
texture through play. It helps them learn relationships as Let’s Play and Have Fun!
they try to put a square object in a round opening or a large
object in a small space. Books, games, and toys that show
pictures and matching words add to a child's vocabulary. It
also helps a child's understanding of the world.
Play allows children to be creative while developing
their own imaginations. It is important to healthy brain
development. Play is the first opportunity for your child to
discover the world in which he lives. Play offers a child the
ability to master skills that will help develop self-confidence
and the ability to recover quickly from setbacks. For example,
a child may feel pride in stacking blocks and disappointment
when the last block makes the stack fall. Play allows children
to express their views, experiences and at times, frustrations.
Play with other children helps a child learn how to be
part of a group. Play allows a child to learn the skills of
negotiation, problem solving, sharing, and working within
groups. Children practice decision-making skills, move at
their own pace and discover their own interests during play.

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References
Bailey, C. M. (2006). Learning through play and How Do You Play With Your Child(ren)?
fantasy, EC 1297E, Corvallis, OR Oregon State After reading this guide, list three types of play that you
University. observe when your child is playing.
Bodrova, E. & Leong D. (2005), The importance of
play, why children need to play. Early Childhood
Today, 20 (3), 6-7.
Ginsburg, K. R. (2007). The importance of play
in promoting healthy child development and
maintaining strong parent-child bond, Journal of
American Academy of Pediatrics, 119 (1), 183-185.
Isenberg, Packer, J. and Quisenberry, N. (2002) What type of play do you enjoy with your child?
Play Essential for All Children, A Position Paper
of the Association for Childhood Education
International, Retrieved from http://www.
highbeam.com/doc/1G1-93348877.html
March 16, 2010.
Wadley, A. (1974) Just Playing, Permission to print List three ways that you would like to change when playing
granted by author and available on request. with your child.
Retrieved from http://www.anitawadley.com/Site/
Poem.html March 16, 2010.

Acknowledgments
We would like to acknowledge the following
individuals who reviewed earlier drafts of this guide:
- Ellen Abell, Associate Professor & Extension
Specialist, Auburn University As you look to the future, what are you looking forward to
- Jennifer Wells, MSU Extension Agent, playing with your child?
Hill County

- Denise Seilstad, MSU Extension Agent,
Fergus County

- William B. Anderson, Fair Oaks, California
Keep a list of your child’s growth. Write down your child’s
likes and dislikes of toys and games. Ask yourself, am
I playing with my child in his or her world? Note your
reactions and enjoyment with playing with your child. Be
ready to change play as your child continues to grow.
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Provost and Director, Montana State University Extension, Bozeman, MT 59717.

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