During infancy and early childhood , children first find joy in discovering their own bodies—that is, through movement and making sounds. Then they become deeply interested in objects in the outside world that they can grab, hit, or throw (much to the delight of adults😊). At this stage, the child joyfully experiences the fact that they are doing something and thus having an impact on the world. Then they begin to play with playdough, draw, play in the sandbox, ride small motorcycles, play with dolls, and play with toy cars. They’ll happily use these tools later on in preschool as well. In their play, we can constantly observe imitation, modeled after the adults and children around them.
In preschool , role-playing is already the dominant activity, which is crucial for personality development. At this stage, children imitate and practice adult behaviors (playing house, acting as a teacher, doctor, bus driver, etc.). In addition to role-playing , building games play an important role . Building is quite complex, as it involves planning, execution, motor coordination, flexibility, cooperation, and resilience. We must not forget about games with rules, in which children play by following specific, pre-agreed rules. Learning to respect rules, adapt to others, and cope with victory and defeat is crucial for their future success in school and in adult life!
So we can confidently say that play during the preschool years lays the foundation for children's future social adaptation.
In elementary school , schoolwork— —replaces play . During their free time, children mainly engage in active and social games with rules, but role-playing games, building games, and creative play are also present, depending on their interests.
Children in the digital age are spending more and more time playing online games. This process can begin as early as preschool, but in my experience, elementary school is the first critical stage of life when the balance can already shift significantly toward computer and smartphone games. The risk of addiction is very high, so adults have a great responsibility to pay attention to this and set a good example of moderation.
From adolescence onward, the importance of traditional board games gradually declines. In my experience, online games and board games are becoming increasingly popular among this age group, as well as among adults. I think it’s important for adults not to lose their sense of play, and for families to regularly get together to play board games, play ball, build obstacle courses, and so on, because playing is a truly great team-building activity; it also helps with self-awareness, understanding others, and relieving stress.
All in all, we can say that people of all ages need play, but it is especially essential for children’s personality development. Let’s let our children play, and let’s not deprive ourselves of this joyful and beneficial activity either!
(Reference: Mérei, Binét—Child Psychology)
