Here in the Northeast, we continue to live with the possibility of a snow day or two (Thanks, Punxsutawney Phil!), but instead of cringing and wondering, “What the heck am I going to do with these kids all day!” - embrace it and know that your ability to encourage play and imagination in your kids is extremely influential in their emotional and social development. Take this opportunity to engage in creative and pretend play with your child because the research suggests that play enhances development in several important areas.
First off, play encourages development in learning and cognition. Imagination and imaginative play actions allow for an increase in the capacity for flexibility of thought, problem solving and divergent thinking. For example, you might see your child using a box as a car one minute and then when the need arises, that same box may become a house! In this way, minds are stretched to solve the problems encountered during play. If your child has difficulty with this, your role as facilitator in the play can encourage your child to think about multiple problem solving possibilities. Engaging in pretend or sociodramatic play provides practice in abstract and logical thinking and a chance to reflect and experiment with problems from a number of different angles. When a child pretends to be the mom or dad in a family, they are learning perspective taking and this is a critical skill for social development.
I know one characteristic I feel is very influential in emotional development is self-confidence. Believe it or not, encouraging creative play can provide kids with the opportunity to take on new roles which provides them with a sense of competence and success. Physical play, such as climbing and building also provide meaningful opportunities for young children to develop a sense of control over their environments and enhance self-esteem.
You may have observed your little ones in dramatic play in which they are the omnipotent superhero or the almighty king or queen of the land. Don’t be concerned that you are raising some type of dictator; understand that taking on these roles may provide your child with a sense of power that will decrease their need to demonstrate aggressiveness towards others when not engaged in play. It is much better to pretend that you have control over all the action figures in your army than trying to constantly control your little brother!!
Language development is another area that benefits from rich, interactive play. Whether you are playing with your child or they are engaged with a sibling or peer, the play will be saturated with verbal exchanges and this provides a perfect opportunity for language to be used and for vocabulary and speech to grow and expand. Interjecting feeling words that provide descriptions of what the characters are experiencing in the play will also help your child when they are experiencing big emotions themselves. All part of emotional regulation skills!
So take out the sheets, blankets and pillows and encourage the building of forts and castles; get down and build a Lego tower with your child, take out the old socks (you know the ones whose mates were eaten by the washing machine) and Sharpie markers and make some wonderful sock puppets that go on an amazing adventure. Take the lead from your child and know that you are supporting their development in many influential ways and more importantly, you are establishing a bond with your child and are making memories with them that will last a lifetime! Let it snow!!
Reference:
Landy, Sarah (2009). Pathways to Competence. Baltimore, Maryland: Paul H. Brooks Publishing
