Let’s Play! The Importance of Play for Children first appeared in the Public Opinion newspaper. Joel Desotelle, MS OTR/L, Pediatric Occupational Therapist and Program Director of Keystone Pediatric Developmental Center in Chambersburg, shares the importance of play in your child’s development.
Children and Electronics
Ipads/tablets, phones, and gaming systems offer instant access to a world of entertainment and fun for children. Seeing kids out in the community glued to a handheld device is common. Whether playing a learning activity, game, or watching videos, children are becoming more connected to the electronic world than the world around them.
The Down-Side of Electronics
While electronics have benefits, they also have limitations that can interfere with your child’s development. At the push of a button an entire game is set up instantly, depriving your child of the opportunity to learn how to plan, organize, problem-solve, role-play, imagine and create—skills needed in the adult word. Children are also more prone to staying indoors and spending less time engaged in physical activity, making them at risk for obesity and other health-related issues.
The Up-Side of Toys
Toys offer a more enriched experience that will help your child to develop their motor, cognitive, and social skills. Through their interactions with fun, hands-on activities, they learn to comprehend their environment, becoming problem-solvers and planners, developing their independent skills and self-confidence.
Selecting Toys
Finding the right toy to meet your child’s development needs and interests can be difficult. Parents can spend a lot of money on toys that end up in the toy bin. Selecting toys that have high levels of playability is the key. Before purchasing an activity, ask yourself how long, how much, and how often do you think your child is going to play with a particular toy? Don’t be afraid to make your own fun. Some of the best play ideas are already in your home waiting to be invented or created.
The Best Resource is You
Getting on the floor with your child, no matter what the activity, is the best investment you can make. It is easy to pass off electronics because of how it can consume your child’s interest, but they need time to learn from you, to interact with you, and spend time with you. In a world that offers so many short cuts, never underestimate your value to your child.
This article contains general information only and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis, treatment or care by a qualified health care provider.
For more information about Keystone Pediatric Developmental Center, visit https://keystonehealth.org/keystonepediatricdevelopmentalcenter/.
