What is a child without play? Indeed play is the first important step in a child's education, character development and social adjustment for a child the art of play is really the art of living. For the parent who has the huge responsibility of bringing up another human being, moulding and building, that individual into a strong, healthy, balanced, intellectually and morally sound character, child rearing could become a boring, disciplinary routine but for play!
Putting up with some of the noises, nuisances and messes of child play can however be unpleasant and tiring. Putting up with the fatigue, irritation and preoccupation of adults is also not amusing to the child. It is clearly impossible to expect parents to devote their every non-working or school hour to being and playing with their children, as they also need interests that exclude their children.
Some persons reading this piece would probably just snort and wonder what all the fuss was about in a child's play. As far as such persons are concerned, let the child go to school, come back, eat lunch and prepare for extra lessons, finish with that, go for 'Ile kewu' 'Islamiyyah' (Arabic classes),and depending on the age of the child, do his house chores or just take dinner and prepare for bed.
Some others on the other hand either choose the television/home video alternative or get the child to play 'outside', their philosophy is simple, give the child something to do or just get him or her out of the way. These two extremes almost always have far reaching consequences.
Take a look at the little child trapped in an adult body argument that is said to be the reason for the perverted behavior .found with one of the world's most successful musicians. A man who lives out his fantasies locked away with little children in a giant-sized dream playground under the guise of reliving his childhood. Psychologists say that because he was denied his childhood, and never had the opportunity to play as a child, he has become a seriously sick individual who needs help. Today his wealth and success is fast being devoured by lawsuits on alleged molestation of little children.
What happens also when it's a case of too little work and too much play for Jack? Jack becomes a boy and later a man who is too lazy to work, has probably been sexually molested, introduced into all sorts of vices from his childhood days of 'playing outside', and has little or no values or sense of direction for his life. His parents run about looking for the cause of their child's downfall not knowing the sad truth that the culprits are right under their noses!
What then is the value of playing to a child? When a child needs exercises, he will run, jump and tumble; when he needs skills, he will build, construct and use tools, when he needs information, he will explore, ask questions; when he needs privacy he will ask to be left alone; when he needs love, he will snuggle, seek comfort in assurances; and when he needs discipline he will try out various attitudes and try them to different situations.
Providing the right the child attitudes towards people, things, learning, work experience among other things must be done in a way that the parents is not required to anticipate the child’s every need but respond to them in a right and loving way from both the child's and the parent's point of view, through play.
Toys make up a major aspect of play for a child and depending on the age of the child, toys range from rattles, cloth pegs, to building blocks, cuddly toys to rag dolls. Indoor and outdoor swings play kitchen equipment, plasticine, riding or tricycle, Rapper, water color, nurse and doctor kit. Jig saw puzzles, skipping rope, story books and kites are other useful types.
The tendency for many parents is to buy and keep buying without giving much thought to the play value each toy has to a child. Thus most children end up having too many toys with too little value as play tools.
This article was culled from the publications of Deen Communication Limited