Why Play is Important for Children’s Mental Health

Playing is such an essential part of life no matter what our age, and while we do seem to get a lot more time to do it when we are younger, it is crucial that that time is taken advantage of.

The need to play is an innate motivation, though it is demonstrated through thousands of different means, depending on the person. And in the western world that prizes test scores, grades, and achievements, there can sometimes be this almost disregard for playing, as if the time could be better spent doing something else.

This piece is going to discuss why it will always be beneficial to prioritize play in your child’s life, and how this could affect their mental health for the better.

1)   Play Encourages Communication

Communication is an important aspect of everyone’s life. It is how we interact with others, form social and romantic bonds, and engage with the world around us.

Playing is an important part of this interaction whether they are doing independent play, playing with other children, or playing with adults.

They are able to communicate their ideas, thoughts, and feelings through their actions, which can be vital if they are not yet able to communicate through speech.

Being able to communicate and interact with others is essential for our mental health, as isolation and loneliness can significantly prohibit development and joy. Find your local mental health activities for preschoolers to get your children experiencing play early in their life, to benefit their wellbeing.

2)   Play Encourages Creativity

Creativity is such a crucial part of our lives at any age, and contributes to almost every advancement civilization has. To dream and form ideas is the first step of creativity, and playing gives children the opportunity to do this every time they start to engage.

Nurturing this part of the brain is crucial to development but also for mental wellbeing too.

When children are only allowed to focus on what they are told to do, rather than what they would like to do, or are not given the opportunity to explore, this can feel stifling and cause negative feelings and associations with the world. This can then significantly impact their mental health, which affects their quality of life.

3)   Play Can Develop Confidence

Developing confidence at a young age will influence how they present themselves later in life as they grow up. When children play, they usually make up their own stories, characters, and rules, which can help them build up decision making skills, along with being able to achieve their own goals that they set out for themselves. In doing this, when they are faced with ‘real life’ decisions, they are able to draw from their play experiences to give them the confidence to move forward. Whether this be with a new challenge at school, or simply a choice on what to have for dinner! These are only a few of the ways in which play has an effect on children’s mental health!