Why is play important?

Play is the language of children. Children play all the time, they see the game in everything. If you want a child to do something, making it a fun game improves your chances of success dramatically. 

Play is essential for children to develop physically, emotionally and socially. It might not be surprising to hear it stimulates imagination and creativity, but did you know it also encourages confidence, concentration and resilience. Simply put play allows children to communicate, practice and master skills, ideas, plans and things they are thinking a lot about.

Through play children make friends and learn about their world. One of the huge benefits of play is that it allows children to learn safely at their own pace. They can play out events and see what the consequences of different scenarios might be. They can take on roles and discover what it feels like to walk in someone else's shoes. When you enter a child’s play you can see the world from their perspective.   

Playing releases happy hormones. The hormones released are endorphins, oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin. Endorphins improve immune response, reduce stress and boost self esteem. Oxytocin helps build relationships. Dopamine boosts happiness, enhances ability to learn and concentrate. Serotonin is associated with mood, sleep, memory and learning, and the regeneration of brain cells. 

Play can help to reduce levels of cortisol in the brain which in turn reduces stress levels. High levels of cortisol can make it difficult for the brain to retain information. Have you ever noticed you are more forgetful when you are stressed? 

Too much stress or cortisol on the brain for extended periods of time can impact the brain's ability to make and keep memories. It can make it quicker to react to stressful situations. It can make the brain slower to calm, slower to regulate and slower to process. For example someone might go into fight, flight, freeze or flop mode quicker and quicker the more times they do it. 

Play with your child to see what is important in their world. 

Play to feel happy. 

Play to reduce stress. 

Play because it is fun.