The document emphasizes the critical role of play in child development, highlighting its contributions to physical, social, emotional, and intellectual growth. It discusses various developmental milestones and theories that support the necessity of play in shaping children's abilities and their future socialization. Additionally, the paper warns of the detrimental effects of play deprivation, linking it to developmental delays and negative behavioral outcomes.

1. Play and Child Development Sample Essay
Abstract
Every child needs play as this greatly contributes to their physical,
social, and emotional well-being. There are different reasons why
people play and these includeexcitement and pleasure. By playing,
children get a chance to not only express themselves but also spend
time with their parents. In addition, through playing, children can learn
how to cope with their own feelings especially when they feignfeelings
such as anger, sadness, and worry. This makes them gain positive
emotions and can thus significantly contribute to a good self-sentiment
and good health. Furthermore, it also fosters relationships and enables
children to feel relaxed as they have fun. Play can also improve the
value of life for the entire family. This research paper highlights how
important play is in the development of children, in terms of
physical,social,intellectual and emotional growth.The paper will also
end by explaining the effects on the children’s development causes the
lack of play.
Introduction
Play is an activity that is chosen freely and is motivated and directed
from within.Adequate space for play space and a wide variety of play
materials can be crucial in the development of children (Goldstein,
2012). In early childhood education, play is particularly valued and
embedded in the curriculum.The importance of play is stemmed from
the contribution it makes towards the cognitive,physical,social and
emotional well-being of children and youth (Ginsburg,
2005).Continuous play between children and their peers as well as
adults can enhance their social competence and emotional maturity.
Play is considered as the pillar of the society since it facilitates
communication between people especially because they are expected

2. to handle various roles. During play, children develop all the skills
required, making it a very significant aspect of their lives (Goldstein,
2012). The development of different cognitive, affective and personal
processes are dependent on play and these are aspectes that are
important for the adaptive functioning of children (Russ, 2003). This
paper seeks to show the necessity of playing in the growth and
development of children.
Child developmental trends and milestones
Children undergo many developmental changes from the moment of
their birth until they reach five years of age. These first years are very
important in children’s growth especially because they determine the
personality of the children. Some of the milestones experienced in
terms of children’s development include physical, social, cognitive, and
linguistic growth because children develop their body parts, the
strength, and ability to move, cry, and talk. Additionally, there are also
physical milestones such as rolling, sitting, crawling, standing without
support, walking and running that children experience while emotional
milestones include smiling at people, laughing, and responding to
diverse situations in different ways. Children can also experience
cognitive milestones including the exploration of new objects such as
toys, picking up things and disarranging them, making reason inquiries
like why some things are the way they are. Linguistic milestones that
are experienced include babbling, imitating speech sounds, talking and
singing or mimicking some rhymes. As reach child grow, the
developmental milestonesevolve but the growth takes place at
different paces for different children.
Theories and strategies that facilitate child development
There have been continuous studies on child development by different
psychologists. During such studies, the psychologists focus more on the
nature and development of human beings with some of the common

3. child development theories being psychoanalytic, social, cognitive, and
behavioral theories. In both social and cognitive theories, play is
regarded as essential because the theorists are of the opinion that the
relationships that children develop with their caregivers early in life
ultimately play a major role in shaping the type of persons they grow
into in the future. This also influences how they relate with other
people later in life and their socialization techniques with others. In the
cognitive theory, the theorist, Jean Piaget, suggests that prior to
developing independent thinking, children go through fixed stages that
shape their minds. This makes play an important aspect in the
children’s lives especially in terms of informing them about their
environment and the objects around them.
Piaget’s cognitive development theory
The cognitive development theory is more concerned about how
children think at each stage of growth. Children often collect
information and gather knowledge from the people and environment
around them so that they can be able to comprehend the things that
they know. By playing with different objects and their peers. children
are able to learn more concerning their world.Piaget gives an analysis
of the four stages of development experienced by children in which he
categorizes each stage according to the ages of the children as well as
the activities that occur in their lives and affect development. According
to him, it is by going through different experiences that children grow
and such experiences shape how they comprehend things until they
reach the age of eleven.
Erickson’spsychosocial theory
This theory states that the development occurs at every stage in the life
of a person and as such places a lot of emphasis on the emotional and
social components of growth and development. According to Erickson
the environment in which children grow in has a great influence on the

4. personalities that they develop and this is mainly because they learn
mostly through observation. As such, the more exposure to play and
interaction that children get, the morethey develop in terms of
personality. Erickson developed a theory that is categorized into eight
stages of growth and clearly depicts the social conflicts that one has to
go through and resolve in each stage before they can proceed or move
on to the next stage. It is therefore necessary for people around the
children need to be there for them and also assist them in resolving the
conflict in order to facilitate normal development to the next
stage.Maturity and the social groups that these children are exposed to
determine whether or not children proceed from one stage to the
other successfully. Erickson was of the opinion that each of the eight
stages focused on overcoming a particular conflict and children could
only function optimally if they dealt with the conflicts they encountered
at each stage in an ideal manner.
Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalytic theory
Sigmund Freud believed that a child’s development process was based
on a series of psychosexual stages that give pleasure to the child and
these stages were categorized into four namely: oral, anal, latency and
genital. Each of these four stages entailed gratifying specific desires
that the child develops during the process of growing up. According to
him, the gratification of such desires heavily influenced a child’s
personality in the future. Even though Freud placed a lot of emphasis
on the influence of childhood experiences and events, his theory did
not focus much on normal functioning.
The role of play in physical, social, language and literacy development
The overall development of children is heavily influenced by play and
children learn new things and reap many benefits such as social,
physical, emotional, language and literacy gains from the process of
playing.

5. Outdoor playing is a means through which children can exercise and by
increasing their outdoor activities, children can be able to avoid
obesity. Apart from burning calories, children can have a lot of fun
while playing outside. Play is considered to have huge healthy benefits
because it helps children to avoid carrying weight issues and health
problems as they transition into adulthood(Goldstein 2012, p. 23).
Through play, children can gain an increased range of motion as well as
coordination. In addition, they also derive many positive emotions from
playing and this helps to boost their immunity while at the same time
reducing fatigue and depression.
Socially, children can become more sociable when they interact with
their playmates and different toys. They also learn how to socialize in
different situations and use diverse emotions. Through pretences and
play games, children can gain significant experiences in their abilities to
alter objects and actions as well as roles that have symbolic meaning.
They therefore have a chance to express themselves through arguing,
negotiating and interacting when they take up the roles that they like
during playtime. In essence, pretence gives children the platform
through which they can learn how to plan, negotiate and solve
problems (Bergen Vol.4). When exposed to play, children can easily
learn how to make decisions and master important skills and this helps
them later to develop confidence and be proud of themselves
(Anderson-McNamee&Bailey, 2010 p.3).
Still within social aspects, play helps children to develop increased
empathy, compassion and generosity as they learn to share their toys
with others and even apologize and show concern whenever one of
them is injured. Such emotions, enhance the attachment that they have
and the attention they pay towards both their toys and their playmates.
This ultimately helps them to create and model friendships with other
children.
Play is also essential in the language and literacy development of the
children. According to research, there is a strong link between early

6. active social play and the development of good communication skills
later in life. Language development in children can also be enhanced by
playing with blocks. During play. children interact with their peers and
as such they are forced to concentrate and pay attention in order to
hear and understand the conversations they have with one another.
Play can also motivate children to broaden the scope of their actions
and enhance their confidence as well as linguistic abilities. Children
who are exposed to play, learn language skills earlier than when they
start attending school (Goldstein 2012, p.12).
Creativity in children is also developed during play. Children who get
time off other duties to play, become more attentive especially in their
schoolwork. Leaving children to initiate their own kind of games, gives
them room to become more creative as opposed to when they are
supervised by an adult (Goldstein 2012, p.13).
There are certain toys that can help children with learning. These
include those that teach letters vocabulary spelling as well as pre-
reading skills. When children play with such toys they develop language
skills because they keep an open-mind during play.
It is evident that children can gain many advantages when exposed to
play. Through play, children can gain intelligence as it helps in brain
development and also establishes new neural connections. The speed
at which a child’s brain develops is dependent on how frequent they
are exposed to play. In addition. children who are playful tend to
mature emotionally since they gain more from their interaction with
others.
When children begin to attend school, is is necessary to give them
room to play frequently since they need to adjust from the home
setting to the new school environment where they meet other children.
This will not only prepare the for their studies but also help them to
gain cognitive abilities and erase any worries or fears of failing to learn
as they begin a new life in school. During their breaksfrom play,

7. children can learn and practice the basic social skills. Furthermore, they
can discover more concerning their new environment, interact and
make new friends (Anderson-McNamee &Bailey 2010 p.3).
Current lifestyles deny most children the opportunities to play and this
therefore makes their development less effective. Majority of the
children are encouraged to stay in-doors and play video games or even
watch television, aspects that have adverse effects on their growth and
development. Many parents also tend to focus on academic
achievements and hence take their children to school at a very early
stage, and this gives the children less time to play and spend free time
at home.
Developmental delays
Developmental delay is used to refer to the failure of a child to grow
according to normal expectations. There are diverse factors that cause
developmental delay cases and although some are realized early into
infancy, there are those that only become noticeable when time comes
for the child to go to school. Some of the factors attributed to
developmental delay include genetic makeup of the child, infections
that a mother had when pregnant, premature birth and sometimes
head injuries.
Parents ought to be very keen with their children during their infancy
and growth periods and consult pediatricians whenever they feel the
delay of certain milestones in their children. This is of high importance
because they can easily realize in case their baby has a problem and
learn how to handle with it. Parents can also be able to seek help from
the appropriate institutions so as to avoid a situation whereby the
delay prevents the child from leading a fulfilling and enjoyable life.
Children who experience developmental delays engage in therapy
games that can help them to improve their weak skills. Children can
also learn a lot during their playtime and they can learn to handle

8. different toys by being exposed to sufficient play hence making them
healthier.
Effects of play deprivation
Human beings are naturally born with the urge to play making it an
innate ability that is embedded within human beings. According to a
study that was conducted on Harlow’s monkeys depreciated exposure
to play severely damaged their chances of growing into well functioning
adults. Likewise, human beings need sufficient play in order to grow
and develop effectively. Children risk abnormal and deviant behavior
when they are given less or no chance to play.
Peter Gray 2011, blames play deprivation on the increase of the cases
of social misbehavior and psychopathology in young people. This is
because play enables children to not only make decisions but also
develop problem solving skills and these aspects guide them to control
their emotions. Children also find joy and happiness during play
because they are able to interact and associate with their friends who
they treat as their equal counterparts. Ultimately, the impacts
generated by that play on the development of children improves their
mental health. Children that lack the opportunity to play, tend to lose
out and end up with mental issues that affect them for the rest of their
lives. These children can become mentally disturbed, restless,
aggressive and violent. All these traits become evident in children who
are not given the chance to play because they do not get the chance to
learn how to control their feelings and therefore they miss the self
control when adults. Some of the negative consequences that play
deprivation can have on persons include problems with optimal
learning, self control, normal social functioning and lack of proper
maturity (Gold stein 2012, p.27).
In a study conducted by Brown and Lomax, a group of murderers and
NobelPrize winners were observed and their childhood

9. scrutinized.Through a follow-up on their play histories, these
researchers found out that playing is a vital aspect in childhood. The
lack of exposure to play activities during their childhood was among the
key factors that led them to become the kind of adults they became.
They further realized that play can help to modify anti social behavior in
children (Brown 2013 p. 5).
Conclusion
Friedrich Frobel asserted that, “Play is the highest expression of human
development in childhood, it is the free expression of what is in the soul
of the child.”(Goldstein 2012 p.31). The need to play in children is
comparable to the need for food in human beings. Play is a need that
helps to promote good health, emotional and social wellness as well as
a full expression of what it means to be human. Regardless of their
lifestyle, every parent needs to give their child sufficient time to play in
order to facilitate their growth and allow their body organs to develop
healthily, as well as give them room to become responsible adults in
the future.
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10. Reference List
Bergen, D. (2002). The role of pretend play in children’s cognitive
development. ERIC Clearinghouse.
Brown, F.(2013). Play deprivation: impact, consequences and the
potential of play work. Retrieved
from:http://www.playwales.org.uk/login/uploaded/documents/INFOR
MATION%20SHEETS/play%20deprivation%20impact%20consequences
%20and%20potential%20of%20play
Ginsburg, K. R. (2007). The importance of play in promoting healthy
child development and maintaining strong parent-child
bonds. Pediatrics, 119(1), 182-191.
Goldstein, J. (2012). Play in children’s development, health and well-
being. Retrieved from:
file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Administrator/My%20Docum
ents/Downloads/play_in_children_s_development_health_and_well-
being_-_final-3%20(3).pdf
Hughes, F. P. (2010). Children, play, and development. Los Angeles:
Sage.
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