The Impact of Play on Children
The Importance of Children and Movement
Naturally energetic and active, children meet their physical activity needs through play while also achieving emotional satisfaction in an enjoyable way. Children's games, with their dynamic nature, serve as an effective tool for developing their motor skills by engaging both large and small muscle groups.
The Contribution of Play and Physical Activity to Child Development
Play is one of the most natural forms of physical activity that supports children's physical health. Through various games, children:
1. Develop gross motor skills such as running, jumping, climbing, and balancing,
2. Strengthen hand-eye coordination by grasping and manipulating objects,
3. Support their physical development by activating the muscular, skeletal, digestive, and circulatory systems.
Outdoor games, in particular, have a significant impact on children's motor skills. These types of games enhance children's movement abilities and contribute to improving their overall health.
The Importance of Early Childhood Physical Activity
Movement habits acquired in early childhood lay the foundation for a lifelong healthy lifestyle. Research shows that low levels of physical activity can lead to childhood obesity and cardiovascular diseases.
The increasing prevalence of childhood obesity, particularly in high-income countries, further emphasizes the importance of physical activity from an early age. According to studies in the United States, one-third of children do not participate in games involving sufficient movement, which poses a serious risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (Saygın & Mengütay, 2006).
Therefore, increasing physical activity during the preschool period is considered an essential preventive measure to reduce children's health risks (Bekmezci & Özkan, 2015).
Physical Activity and Body Development
According to scientific research, regular physical activity and play:
1. Help burn excess fat in the body,
2. Support muscle development,
3. Regulate the function of endocrine glands,
4. Improve blood circulation and respiration, increasing oxygen intake,
5. Support growth functions.
Especially active play elevates circulation and respiration above normal levels, allowing the body to receive oxygen and nutrients more efficiently. As a result, children’s immune systems are strengthened, and their overall development is supported (Poyraz, 2003).
Play and Children's Cognitive Growth
Every child goes through various stages of development by interacting with their environment and peers from an early age. One of the cornerstones of cognitive development is the experience of play. Research shows that playing enhances children's reasoning, creative thinking, problem-solving, and patience skills.
Renowned developmental psychologist Vygotsky (1978) argues that play is an essential learning mechanism that supports cognitive growth. While playing, children explore their surroundings and shape their intellectual development through memory, language, and thinking processes. This process helps children develop more flexible and complex thinking skills by determining how they adapt to new experiences, concepts, and sensory stimuli.
Play and Problem-Solving Skills
Play is a crucial tool in developing children's problem-solving abilities. Problem-solving skills enable:
Children to observe their surroundings,
Develop their ability to gather and analyze information,
Shape their own worldview.
This type of thinking supports the ability to understand and evaluate complex situations, positively influencing children's future academic and social success. Through play, children enhance their ability to think strategically, generate alternative solutions, and develop creative approaches.
The Contribution of Sensory Play to Mental Development
Outdoor and sensory play allows children to explore textures, colors, smells, and different physical elements in their environment. Sensory play encourages children to use their senses of sight, taste, hearing, touch, and smell while playing. Such activities:
Help children recognize differences in their surroundings,
Strengthen comparison skills,
Foster familiarity with new objects,
Support motor skills and creativity.
Sensory play aids in the development of neural connections and sensory perceptions, accelerating cognitive processes. Interactions during play help children improve identification skills and classify objects more accurately.
Play and the Child's Inner World
There is a strong connection between children's inner world and play. Freud (1943) emphasized the psychological function of play decades ago with his words, “Children experience their unconscious desires and difficulties through play.” While playing, children imagine a safe environment where they can freely express their emotions.
Renowned psychologist Piaget (1950) described play as the most powerful answer to the question, “How does something new emerge?” When we provide children with opportunities and time for play, we significantly contribute to their curiosity, imagination, and creativity.
The Role of Play in Emotional Development
Play in early childhood helps children in the following areas:
Expressing their experiences,
Managing difficult emotions,
Coping with emotional traumas,
Learning and developing different emotional responses.
According to Hirschland (2009), play allows children to express their complex and difficult emotions in a safe space. Through play, children can explore and experience emotional responses such as happiness, sadness, joy, trust, fear, frustration, and hope.
Dramatizing and gamifying emotions help children understand themselves better (Durualp & Aral, 2010). Play enhances children's self-expression skills, enabling them to manage their inner world in a more balanced way.
Play and the Acquisition of Social Values
Play contributes not only to children's individual development but also to their ability to learn and internalize social values. While playing, children:
Gain self-confidence,
Engage in experience and observation,
Develop communication and cooperation skills,
Learn to take responsibility,
Acquire the ability to distinguish between right and wrong,
Adopt values such as honesty, determination, sharing, friendship, and respect,
Experience winning and losing,
Develop openness to criticism and democratic thinking skills.
According to Özden Gürbüz (2016), games are a part of real life and serve as one of the most effective learning methods. The values acquired through play support children's adaptation to society and their growth as strong individuals in the future.
Play and Psychological Health
Play not only strengthens children's emotional expression but also helps reduce negative emotions such as anxiety, excessive ambition, and aggression.
Through play and love, children find opportunities to strengthen their mental well-being.
Games contribute to children becoming healthier individuals in their social relationships.
Children learn to understand others' thoughts, develop empathy, and evaluate different perspectives.
Sun & Seyrek (1997) state that games help children achieve emotional balance and reduce tendencies toward aggression.