The role of play in child development

The game is an essential and natural part of a child's development. It starts early in childhood and continues until the end of human life. Depending on age, the game takes various forms. In the first stage, up to the age of approximately 2 years, children mainly prefer simple games. They play individually and interact with existing objects and, frequently, with parents or caregivers, engaging in games together. With a little patience, from 2 to 3 years old, children start participating in role-playing games, but they still assign greater importance to playing alone. They may invite others to join the game but still prioritize playing independently. They may invite their peers. In the next stage, from about 3 years old, they engage in the production of collaborative games with other children, aiming for the development of cognitive and social skills along with various emotional and role-playing games.

It is noteworthy that the game not only has a recreational function but is also crucial for the development of meaningful spheres, which will be essential for a person throughout life. Among them, the following spheres emerge:

Different modalities of exploration - children explore objects or parts of the game with different senses. They interpret the texts of sounds and games. They express themselves by mimicking or vocally imitating sounds and trying to recognize the sound of the game. Consequently, various modalities of sensory, visual, tactile, and other exploratory activities emerge.

Motor skills - Children engage in games of various sizes, manipulate objects, kick balls, play with bikes, build blocks together, try climbing stairs with handrails, etc. Each of these activities contributes to the development of fine and gross motor skills.

Cognitive sphere - In the game process, children encounter various dilemmas that require the use of new cognitive skills. They experiment and try to understand new dilemmas, and in the process, they develop strategies for analyzing and solving conflicts or for helping others understand the dilemmas. Thus, their attention to problem-solving and their organized actions increase in various activities.

Emotional sphere - Children learn to deal with emotional conflicts in the game process. For example, they learn to manage disappointment after losing, to manage anger and calm down.

Social sphere - While playing with other children, a child learns the rules of interaction with others. It is essential to respect agreements to avoid conflicts in the game, which contributes to the protection of friendships. They express solidarity, fix their position socially, establish their position socially in a recognizable form. They learn conflict management in games.

Moral sphere - In the process of interacting with other children, certain moral dilemmas arise, which, as a result of recognizing them and making corresponding decisions, children learn to consider moral obligations in their interactions with others. Also, by observing the actions of others from another person's perspective, which increases their empathy, they become more aware of their actions.

Observing the child's game process indicates what difficulties exist regarding the possibility of entertainment:

Does not play;
Avoids playing with other children;
The child's game often escalates into a conflict or leaves the game process;
Easily frustrated in case of failure in the game or deliberately disrupts the process;
Quickly loses interest in the game on the long-distance.

It is essential for the parent to observe the child's game form, content, and, if necessary, provide appropriate assistance.