The Importance of Play

The game It is the main activity through which the child lives his life during the first years of age, as mentioned Jean Piaget and Maria MontessoriThrough it, the child observes and investigates everything related to their environment in a free and spontaneous way. Young children connect their prior knowledge and experiences with new ones, relating individual learning processes that are fundamental to their growth, regardless of the environment in which they develop.

Why is playing healthy?

Despite what many parents consider play to be a distraction and low-intensity activity, play actually involves a series of processes that contribute to a child's overall development. Below, we outline the different processes. game functions.

1. educational: The game stimulates their intellectual capacity, allowing them to make judgments about their own knowledge when solving problems, thus learning to focus on an activity for a period of time. It also develops their imagination, creativity, and intelligence.
2. Physical: The child develops their motor skills and learns to control their body. Through play, the child releases physical energy while learning to coordinate their movements.
3. Emotional; Play is an acceptable and natural outlet for children to express emotions they often cannot put into words. By using their imagination, children can become something other than who they are in reality.
4. Social; Throughs of the game The child gradually becomes aware of their cultural environment and an atmosphere that was foreign to them during their early years. They learn to cooperate and share with others, becoming familiar with their surroundings. They also learn the rules of fair play, as well as how to win and lose.

Although The game occurs at all ages of the child, It is important mention that The nature of this activity is changing in relation to various behavioral changes that determine the way in which the game will be played.

According to the child's age, six main behaviors that shape play are observed in the game.

1. Idle behaviorDuring the first two years, children observe objects and actions momentarily without directly participating.
2. Spectator behaviorChildren up to the age of two observe how other children play, talk to each other, but do not offer to participate in the game.
3. Solitaire gameDuring the first two years, children play only with other toys; they do not share play with other children, although they do participate in conversations.
4. Parallel GameAt three years old, the child chooses the same toys as the children outside, but makes no effort to interfere with the others.
5. Associative game: Around 3 and a half to 4 years old, the child begins to play in groups; it is an initial attempt at group activity.
6. Cooperative playAround the age of 5, children engage in organized group activities to achieve a specific goal. At this age, play has more specific aims, and their behavior becomes more closely related to their personality and gender.
7. Group game; From the age of six, children begin to socialize and make friends by finding similarities in their tastes and interests. It is at this age that they start to develop more realistic attitudes toward the outside world, and consequently, their play becomes more organized and complex.

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