Play helps children grow emotionally by providing ways to express thoughts, fears and feelings. During play, the child can be the planner and coordinator of all that happens. Benefits of play for physical development include gains in muscle coordination. Gross motor activities such as running, jumping and throwing, as well as fine motor activity such as painting and completing puzzles are all aided by play. Play contributes to intellectual development, too.
Children find out about uses and properties of objects such as color and size.
They learn to use words and sentences to describe new information gained, and to develop decision-making skills through play. Creativity is fundamental in children's play and is reflected in drawings and in the various ways objects are used. One way to encourage creativity in play is to provide simple, unstructured materials. It's interesting to note that the high cost of toys is a relatively new trend in the U.S. Generations of American children have traveled around the world in cardboard boxes, flown high in paper angels' wings and played pirate in backyard woods. Parents can encourage their children by helping them explore their environment, by reading, by telling stories and by being present for their children.