'Alex behave yourself!'
My fiancee shouts that quite regularly at me, I am 26, and am often compared to our two year old daughter Casey-Willow, who to be fair, sometimes acts more responsibly than me! I understand the importance of play that's all.

Children are learning every waking minute of every day, like sponges they soak up everything. We as adults have a duty to teach our young and what better way to learn than through play. Children's attention spans tend to be quite short, but I have yet to meet a child who has gotten bored whilst playing!

A child develops in many different ways at the same time. The most obvious benefit would be their physical development. Every time your child jumps, laughs, runs or skips it not only contributes to there gross and perpetual motor skills but also their good health. Whilst playing children are able to discover and explore, solve problems, use their imagination and test out new ideas, allowing them to learn who they are, what they can achieve, and how to relate to their surroundings. Using these experiences children become more confident and self competent.

Gentle social and emotional coaching by an adult is extremely important for our children's development, and the great thing is most of us parents do this without actually realising it. Play is a form of emotional expression, and using their imaginations is a superb way to get to grips with feeling such as fear anger and inadequacy. It also allows them to enhance feeling such as control, enjoyment and success. As an adult notices a child express an emotion, they help teach the child what emotion is associated to that particular feeling. I am sure every one has asked a child 'is that scary? Does that make you happy? Are you angry?'

Children often use role play as a form of enjoyment, they become mummy's and daddy's, doctors, teachers and fire men. This role playing helps them see the world from different point of view and can help them become less egocentric.

Play is a great way for your child to build on their communication skills, through play a child can get across their thought and feelings, their needs and problems. An adult can learn a lot about their child through watching them play.

A child's creativity can be explored and developed through play, they are free to enter their imagination, acting out the impossible and absurd, developing confidence in their thought and ideas.

Whilst interacting with others around the same age a child is building on their basic skills for social interaction. They learn to share, co-operate and be sensitive to others feelings and emotions.

To sum up play is most probably the most valuable tool we have in the development and growth of our kids. It takes time and practice for children to become competent, creative and self confident. As an adult it is our duty to encourage and support them at every stage, to show them morals, rights and wrongs, and how to put the best into everything they do.

Right now I'm off to make a mess and have some fun. In a responsible way of course!

Learn more about this author, Alexander Wolf Hosking.
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