A New York Times article on play cites neuro-science research that shows play as a central part of neurological growth and development — one important way that children build complex, skilled, responsive, socially adept and cognitively flexible brains. But what is play?
S. Brown, one of the main sources cited in the article, did not provide a definition of play, instead elaborating some properties of play: "apparently purposeless, voluntary, inherent attraction, freedom from time, diminished consciousness of self, improvisational potential, continuation desire" (Brown, 17). Brown's work encompassed the play fighting of animals to human beings making faces at each other. The scope of his work and his interpretation of play differs from other play researchers, such as the great educational theorists, J. Piaget and L. Vygotsky.
J. Piaget distinguished between four different types of childhood play, each one evolving from its predecessor. The first type, exercise play, is the repetition of activities, such as swinging back and forth on a playground swing. The next type, symbolic play, is what Piaget characterizes as the “apogee of children’s development” (Piaget, 57) and is the make-believe play typically seen amongst children ages 2-6. In symbolic play children pretend real life situations in order to assimilate the reality to themselves (ibid, 58). The third type is games with rules, which he says are usually taught from child to child, such as marbles or hopscotch. Finally, the fourth type, games of construction, start of as symbolic games but lead to genuine problem solving and creativity, in which children accommodate and adapt to the world around them (ibid, 59).
L. Vygotsky saw play as the most developmental activity in childhood. He wrote that “a child’s greatest achievements are possible in play” (Vygotsky, 100) and that “in play a child always behaves beyond his average age, above his daily behavior; in play it is as though he were a head taller than himself" (ibid, 102). Vygotsky defined play as an imaginary situation with rules. He argued that all types of childhood play, including the four types described by Piaget, are characterized by these two aspects. What Vygotsky emphasizes about play is that it is a powerful meaning-making activity that leads to children's development. He gives the following example to illustrate this point. When playing house, children might choose to play a role that they actually perform in real life, such as sisters playing sisters. What is important here, Vygotsky argues, is that they are not necessarily acting as they normally would in their day to day life as sisters because in play the meaning of things is what dominates how we act. So, sisters will be acting as they believe sisters must act because they are sisters, in other words, the meaning they attribute to the concept of sisterhood is what guides their actions. This leads children to social-emotional development, as children think about how they are treating one another and try out new ways of acting toward one another, as well as cognitive development, thinking abstractly about concepts such as sisterhood.
Other educators and pedagogic theorists, such as R. Steiner (Waldorf Schools) and M. Montessori have agreed that play is essential to childhood development, albeit for sometimes different reasons. Steiner said that “to a healthy child, playing is not only a pleasurable pastime, but also an absolutely serious activity” (Steiner, 1923) and Montessori said that "play is effortful, and it leads (a child) to acquire the new powers which will be needed for his future" (Montessori, 1995, 180). Montessori, for instance, saw play as a way for children to prepare for the lives they would lead in teh future by imitating what adults do and gaining valuable skills in the process.
These scholars, amongst others, have argued that there are multiple developmental benefits to play in childhood. The reasons, it has been argued, are that play offers children the opportunity to:
• face their fears;
• experiment with new things;
• discover how things work;
• negotiate conflicts with others;
• problem solve;
• learn how to self-regulate and gain greater self-control;
• broaden their language skills;
• think critically;
• act creatively; and
• learn how to collaborate with others.
All of them agree that play is key to children's development. By understanding different perspectives of what play is and its benefits, we can modify the societal discussion about play and its role in education.
Sources:
2. Montessori, M. (1995) The Absorbent Mind Henry Holt and Company: New York.
3. Steiner, R. (1923) The Child’s Changing Consciousness.
4. Piaget, J. (1969) The Psychology of the Child Basic Books: New York.
5. Vygotsky, L. (1978) Mind in Society Harvard University Press: Cambridge.
6. Brown, S. (2009) Play Avery: New York.
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