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Interpreting child play

Children can be understood much better by watching them play

LANGUAGE OF CHILDHOOD Play therapy is strongly recommended for children

One may wonder whether children's play is that significant and implies a therapy to enable them build up both physical and mental health. Play helps build educational and developmental efficiencies, well-being and wholesome inter-personal relationship in the present and their future years of life. Actually, play therapy involves the use of play to communicate, to solve problems and to change negative behaviours. It is particularly recommended for children, because they can learn more about the world (environment), can become aware of how their feelings and thoughts contribute to a better Life.

Through play, children can develop as mature, adequate and integrated personalities, by expressing their problems, wishes, desires and unfulfilled wants and crazes. For example, a girl whose mother had a diabetic foot and needed amputation eventually made a woman's figure out of the modelling clay and performed an imaginary amputation in a play session.

The play sessions revealed that the girl was quite worried about her mother, wanted to help her mother to get better and was playing in a way so that she would not feel so helpless and insecure. After a few sessions, the child began to talk to her mother about surgery and fears more openly than ever before. Here the therapist tried to find out the `root causes' of the problems, discussed them with parents and relatives and possible strategies were worked out.

Children are understood better through their play. By watching their play, we can learn more about their thoughts, feelings, motivations, problems and struggles than by talking with them. Play has been called the `Language of Childhood.' It is not something trivial, but on the contrary, it is one of the most crucial and critical elements of all healthy child development. It can be considered as the `elan vital,' the `vital force' or impulse of life for personality and evolution.

This aspect, on various occasions had been illustrated in the nature programmes on television, baby animals playing with each other or with their mothers as they develop their fighting and survival skills. Play fosters healthy development of young animals and children alike.

Researchers `of animal play in the wild,' suggested that play was `a rehearsal for the challenges and ambiguities of life.' This would lead the young ones to grow in strength physically and mentally with skills, improved judgment, greater security and bonds for successful adaptation and survival in the environment.

Play augments intellectual development, creativity, problem solving, learning, good adjustment and productive activity. Combined with humour, play is a powerful tool to `get through tough times.'

Dr. C. P. SOMASUNDARAM

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