Authentic Play Matters.

Let’s talk about play.

We tend to think that play is a relaxing break from learning. The truth is, though, that for children (and arguably humans of all ages), play is learning in action. We often see play as something that happens at recess, outside of class time. Teachers are usually absent at recess, or take shifts supervising, where they observe for safety hazards, rather than for opportunities to provide extensions for further learning.

“But why does that matter?”

Well, let’s start with the fact that play is a natural, evolutionary trait. Humans have played since the dawn of mankind. And guess what. Play isn’t reserved for just humans, either. You play with your dog, don’t you? Most animals play. Birds slide down snowy slopes together for fun. Horses chase one another. Kangaroos play fight. Play is what teaches animals about communication, nuance, survival. How can we even dream of depriving our children of something that we recognize as evolutionarily necessary for survival? In fact, the rise in mental illnesses in the United States has often been directly attributed to the decline of play. How sad is that?!

And let’s clarify something here: children’s play is never adult-led.

Play is the way by which children make sense of the world. They reenact to understand, to give context for, or to soothe the stress of new experiences. They take on feelings and emotions in order to practice a deeper understanding of what they all mean. Play allows for conflict resolution strategies to develop, and for empathy to form. Play is how we develop the foundational, neurological skills that allow us to learn those strict academic concepts we find later in life with rote mathematics and literacy concepts. The list goes on. Play is everything, and play is natural.

If we as adults tell children how to play, we are denying them the opportunities to develop their own concrete understandings of the world. It’s not our job to teach them the rules by which to play. We don’t need to develop games for them, or to tell them when it’s appropriate to play in certain areas or with certain materials. Children do this naturally. Authentic play is child-led and child-centered. If we’re changing the way by which children play, they’re not truly playing.

And with all of the amazing things we know about play, think about all of the development they’re missing out on.

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