VALUE OF PLAY AND SELECTION OF PLAY MATERIAL
INTRODUCTION
Play is a universal activity among all children. It is not merely an amusement but an integral and
natural part of a child’s life.
Through play, children express themselves, understand the world around them, and engage in
activities that promote their overall development. It is considered the work of children and serves as
a major path for learning and growth.
According to Lev Vygotsky, play is both the work and language of children.
DEFINITION
Play therapy is defined as a therapeutic method based on the understanding that play is the child’s
natural medium of self-expression.
Through play, children can communicate thoughts and emotions that they may not be able to
express verbally.
IMPORTANCE OF PLAY
Play holds crucial importance in various domains of a child’s development including physical,
intellectual, emotional, and moral growth.
Physical development
Play activities like running, climbing, and cycling help in the development of muscular strength and
sensory coordination. Through play, children learn motor skills and coordinated movements.
Different sensory stimulations involved in play materials help children to recognize and
differentiate visual, auditory, and tactile sensations.
Intellectual and educational development
During play, children learn fundamental concepts such as size, shape, color, number, speed,
distance, and height. They develop problem-solving ability, creativity, abstract thinking, and
imagination.
Play enhances communication and speech development, increases concentration, and helps
distinguish between fantasy and reality. It allows children to experience achievement and build
confidence.
Emotional development
Children naturally express emotions such as joy, fear, anxiety, and anger during play. It serves as a
release for emotional tension, reducing stress and irritability.
Play helps children cope better by offering emotional ventilation and a sense of safety. It also
provides recreation and helps in building social relationships through shared experiences.
Moral development
Play is a context through which children learn about values, fairness, honesty, cooperation, and
responsibility. Through interactions with peers and adults, they develop an awareness of right and
wrong, fairness in games, and the importance of friendships.
Role-playing during play also teaches social norms and gender-specific behaviors.
TYPES OF PLAY ACCORDING TO PARENT AND NEWHALL (1943)
Unoccupied play
The child is not engaged in active play but may move around, crawl under tables, or stand alone.
There is minimal social interaction or purposeful behavior during this stage.
Solitary independent play
The child plays alone without interacting with others. This type of play is commonly observed in
toddlers who are deeply engrossed in their own activity.
Onlooker play
The child observes others playing but does not participate. They watch, listen, and show interest
without directly engaging in the play.
Parallel play
The child plays independently beside other children, often imitating their actions without
interaction. This is typical among toddlers who play with similar toys side by side.
Associative play
In this type, children engage in the same activity and may talk to each other, but their play is not
organized or coordinated. It is common in preschoolers and helps develop social interaction.
Cooperative play
Children play together in a structured and organized way, often involving rules or role-playing. This
is seen in preschool and school-age children who participate in group games like football or enact
social roles.
SELECTION AND CARE OF PLAY MATERIALS
Play materials must be safe, light in weight, simple, washable, durable, and easy to handle. They
should be realistic, stimulating, and help children develop problem-solving abilities.
Materials should not have sharp edges or detachable small parts that could be swallowed or inhaled.
Overstimulating or frustrating toys must be avoided.
Toys should be non-toxic, inexpensive, non-flammable, and not produce excessive noise. Electrical
toys must be used cautiously and only by children above eight years of age.
SUITABLE PLAY MATERIAL ACCORDING TO AGE
Four weeks to four months
At this stage, children respond to bright and moving objects such as musical toys, hanging cradle
toys, balloons, and rattles which stimulate their senses.
Four to six months
Children enjoy soft squeezy toys, rattles, and toy animals that they can touch, hold, and manipulate,
helping develop fine motor coordination.
Seven to nine months
Children begin enjoying toys that produce sound and movement like squeeze toys, cubes, and
plastic rings which engage both hearing and vision.
Ten to twelve months
Children benefit from motion-based toys, water play, dolls, musical toys, and picture books. They
also enjoy transport toys like rocking horses and walkers.
Toddlers
At this stage, children enjoy toys that encourage movement and imagination. These include push
and pull toys, blocks, vehicles, dolls, pots, pans, mud, clay, crayons, and play telephones.
Preschool children
Children enjoy puppets, dolls, doll houses, carpentry tools, large blocks, doctor sets, and cooking
materials. Materials that encourage creativity such as paints and clay are also preferred.
School-age children
These children prefer structured, competitive, and cooperative games. They enjoy playing with
carpentry tools, painting sets, puzzles, maps, musical instruments, chess, gardening tools, and
hobby kits. Toys are popular until about eight years of age, after which games and skill-based
activities become more appealing.
