Vanessa Mentor, an Early Childhood Development expert for Afrika Tikkun, writes:
If I say this year is going to be child’s play, it is not because I think it’s going to be easy or silly. It’s because we will be championing play and its critical importance to the development of the child.
In particular, we are championing how important it is when parents or caregivers play with their children. At some stage of our life, we have all heard someone in authority say: ‘Stop playing and get to work!’
Playtime is often seen as the opposite of work – being lazy and a lack of achievement. At best, play is seen as recreation. This is a common misperception and we have a responsibility to advocate for every child’s right to play and have fun.
From the time a baby arrives in this world, he or she is already beginning to learn. Eighty per cent of a young child’s brain development takes place before the age of five.
Early childhood (from birth to six years) is a time of extreme and rapid physical, mental, emotional, social, moral growth and development. It is a time when they acquire concepts, skills and attitudes that lay the foundation for lifelong learning.
These include the acquisition of language, perceptual motor skills required for learning to read and write, basic numeracy concepts and skills, problem-solving skills, a love of learning and the establishment and maintenance of relationships. At this age, all these skills are best developed through play and creative activity.
According to Dr Bruce Perry, play – more than any other activity – fuels the healthy development of children and the continued healthy development of adults.
We start playing in utero – kicking and moving about. From birth, we start to play using our bodies to explore our world around us. With our minds, through make-believe play, we make sense of our world.
Using newly learnt words during play we develop vocabulary and language and using props (blocks, boxes, toys), we extend and enrich our playful learning experiences.
Many of our current generation of children have lost their opportunities to play, with little time for schoolwork and even less time for play. Child-headed households are the smallest contributor to children having adult responsibilities.
Grannies and parents working long hours and city dwelling, all play a much bigger role. For many, their basic needs are not met and play is seen as a luxury rather than a fundamental right.
Read: Divided we shall fall
Do you often play with your child and what games do you usually play? Tweet @AlexNewsZA or like the Alex News Facebook page to share your views.
