Child’s Play is as Easy as 1, 2, 3!

The Benefits of Free Play in Today’s World of Technology and Social Media

by Lisa Smith View Bio

Lisa Smith

Kids need to be kids before they become adults, to walk before they run, to learn life skills from play before they can successfully manage work. I am proud to have supported the ongoing development of two young adults, my children, through years of make-believe, fun and games. My passion for continued learning provides my writing with the most current research and trends on healthy child development.

Lisa Smith, M.A. DEVM, Columbia University, is an Educational Consultant.

Technology and social media have had profound effects on our world, but has there been any change in how we parent our children?

CBS This Morning recently covered a story on the importance of unstructured play. Dr. Tara Narula reviewed what the American Academy of Pediatrics advises for proper child development and states "play is not frivolous; it is brain building."

Free or unstructured play and play with traditional toys have both physical and socio-emotional benefits on development, including language and math skills, self-regulatory skills, and pro-social behavior.

Developmental tools which have aided our socio-emotional development, such as play, are being replaced by technology and have been removed from our school districts producing "more competitive kids".  What happens when achievement takes precedence over the socio-emotional development of our kids, when creative venues are dismissed, when free and unsupervised play, letting one's mind wander are discouraged? Dr. Peter Gray, Professor at Boston College, has argued children playing less has led to an increase in childhood mental disorders including anxiety and depression, as well as a decline in empathy. 

Children develop and learn from a variety of sources; preschool being the first opportunity for most children to interact with their peers on their own. This period is especially important for the development of both cognitive and socio-emotional skills. "Critical-thinking" and "problem-solving" starts in early childhood development. This could be as simple as playing with blocks, figuring out which shapes and sizes can support additional layers of blocks. Experiences from play benefit children in many essential ways.

1. Play can foster a sense of independence as a child explores a new environment, create a feeling of competence in mastering new skills, as well as the pure enjoyment of being a child. Children learn that their actions can affect their environment: bang a toy drum and it makes a sound, manipulate Play-doh and watch how it can change its shape. "It's where the foundations are laid", according to John Goodwin, head of Lego's charitable foundation.


2. Play has a vital role in the emerging development of social skills. When children engage in "pretend-play" they emulate grown-ups through role-playing, such as playing house, dressing up or using adult-like language. Children are only limited by their imagination. Through play, children develop skills of self-control and executive function while learning to share and take turns.


3. Children need to develop self-regulation skills whereby they can manage their internal state which is critically important for overall development and social function. Behaviors such as self-control and impulse control as well as frustration tolerance are necessary for a child's healthy development and can be learned through early play with peers. Children who bite and hit have not mastered this. A child who has a temper tantrum at 2 years of age is very different in their stage of emotional development than a child behaving in the same manner at 8 years of age.

Our society might be changing, but being a child should not. Developmental milestones, such as executive function and self-regulation skills have their roots in good old-fashioned play, not in “technology or social media”.

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