By Alison Heseltine, Early Years Service Officer
As early years educators we are all aware of the crucial role of play in healthy development, and as the bedrock of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
We use play to inspire a sense of awe and wonder in the children we care for, as they explore and problem solve, learning, each step of the way about the world around them.
We can see the benefits to physical development as they move and manipulate play resources.
However, what has come through ever more clearly, especially during the pandemic, is that play also has a therapeutic value to our children.
Sometimes, it can be harder to distinguish the benefits of play to their mental wellbeing and emotional intelligence, than on social and physical development, but they are there and we should be aware of them.
Why is play so therapeutic?
Play builds a sense of trust and connection with others through shared, sustained ideas and experiences.
It is a safe place where thoughts and feelings - worries and concerns, but also excitement and happiness - can be expressed without words. Engaging in play should offer a chance for stress and anxiety levels to fall; a moment of calm and focus within busy lives, helping to create moments of relaxation.
Its calming nature also lies in its role as a tool for making sense of the world. It builds self-confidence and resilience as children learn to deal with challenge. But it also offers an opportunity for children to feel a sense of control.
Being able to initiate play gives a sense of freedom that instils a sense of calm and enjoyment.
Therapeutic play and emotional development
By allowing children to make choices and problem solve, young children are learning to self-reflect and self-regulate their thoughts and feelings, supporting their emotional development but also teaching them to create a sense of calm for themselves.
The child psychologist Bruno Bettelheim recognises that through play, children can revisit real life experiences and try to make sense of them.
He talks about play “bridging” the gap between a child’s experience of something, and the real world. Via this bridge they can deal with and resolve concerns they might have.
For this reason, it is essential that we provide a trusting environment where a child feel safe and secure experiment, free from fear, so that they can express themselves openly.
Learning to do so will have a lifelong impact as children apply new abilities such as self-expression and emotional regulation to other areas of their lives.
How do we use the therapeutic value of play to support children?
As educators we have a vital role in enabling the therapeutic value of play. We can use our knowledge of each child and their unique interests to create engagement and lead them towards subjects and activities that most interest them – but we must, above all, allow the child to take ownership of that play.
As adults we are the observers of children’s play and should only intervene when necessary or when invited – and we should not outstay our welcome.
Play belongs to children and we need to learn to recognise and respect their choices, and individuality. We need to acknowledge and accept where they are at in their own unique and amazing life journey.
Our role in play as a therapeutic experience is to enable our children the time, space and opportunity to freely explore, nurturing their own ideas (not ours) and allowing those ideas to blossom, and their imagination to take flight. Each child has their own experiences and ideas based on their personal circumstances, in other words they have their own cultural capital, and play should enhance this through exposure to new and wonder filled experiences.
As the American psychologist Charles Schaefer said, “We are never more fully alive, more completely ourselves, or more deeply engrossed in anything than when we are playing.”
— Look out for daily blogs throughout our National Week of Play, as we explore different aspects of play and its benefits, with plenty of ideas on how to support play in the early years along the way.
— And if you want a free resource pack with more ideas, visit our National Week of Play page, register via the online form and you'll get a link to the resource pack. Or click on the button below...
