Play in babies and children

During the summer season, the time our babies and children spend playing becomes especially important. **Play** is a fundamental element in a child's life, not only for their entertainment but because it is vital for their development. It is well known that children learn through play. Play has a strong **formative character** and is important for both learning and the social development of little ones. Children learn to face life by playing and get to know it through **playful activity**. Who hasn't played at being a mom or dad during childhood? Through play, a child explores and experiences the world around them.

What are the benefits of play for children?

**Psychomotor development**. When a child plays, they are constantly moving. They exercise all parts of their body, making it one of the healthiest activities for their heart, lungs, bones, and muscles. **Sensorial development**. The use of toys is a way to teach them to differentiate shapes, sizes, colors, and textures. **Affective development**. Play leads them to experience emotions. Joy, surprise, anger... playing is when they begin to resolve their first emotional conflicts and discover ways to effectively face real-life problems with affection. **Creativity**. Play is pure imagination. Awakening and developing creativity is crucial for having fun while playing. **Social development**. Play establishes cooperation guidelines with others. Through these activities, social skills are developed and habits of cooperation are fostered. Additionally, through play, children and babies learn about their bodies, their limitations, and the world around them.

The stages of play

Play is not the same for all ages. At each stage, children opt for activities that will develop certain skills more and leave others in the background. In a generalized way, we can establish three stages regarding play in children. **From 0 to 2 years old**. In the first year of life, the actions aimed at play are few, sucking, biting, and exploring is how the baby approaches the world. They discover objects and textures. **From 2 years old onwards**. Symbolic play or role-playing begins. The child wants to experience the world by imitating the roles they encounter. Being a chef, firefighter, astronaut, or doctor is the most natural. In **the school stage**, they introduce construction play, interact more frequently with toys, and with group cooperation. They already distinguish between leisure and playtime and schoolwork time. Playing is a form of learning as important as any educational level, especially in the early years of a child's life. Respecting their timing and importance helps them in their development.