# The benefits of play

> According to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, in its article 31 "play is a fundamental need for their physical, social and emotional development, so..."

- **Author:** mireia-navarro-vera · **Category:** Adultos
- **Published:** 2018-12-27 · **Updated:** 2018-12-27
- **URL:** https://elteuespai.com/en/the-benefits-of-play/
- _Translation pending clinical review._

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According to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, in its article **31 "play is a fundamental need for their physical, social and emotional development, so it is up to parents, educators and society in general to encourage it"**.

Through play we learn to **respect the rules of society, to accept that in life we can win and lose, and we learn to be patient in order to solve problems** among others, that is, countless behaviors useful for living together, and from a very young age we learn skills and behaviors that from then on will help us coexist correctly in the society in which we live.

At very early ages, play is a very important factor in both psychological and physical development.

It is extremely important that both parents and teaching professionals **use play to interact with children, since this is the engine of communication and of how children relate to one another**, and at the same time it is how they show themselves most spontaneously when they act.

**Play is an innate act** that helps them discover the world, discover their own capacities, abilities and limits, and relate to other people and objects.

## The benefits of games

The benefits of play are countless; we highlight the following:

 	- **They facilitate socialization both with their peers and with the adults** around us and help create emotional bonds with others.
 	- They foster **the discovery of abilities, capacities** and also of our own limits.
 	- They help to **respect others, to acquire rules and to encourage patience**, for example when waiting for turns in the game.
 	- **Problem solving**
 	- **They boost creativity and imagination**.


## Types of play


 	- **Board games**: hand-eye coordination, spatial relationship, they boost memory and attention
 	- **Group games**: they foster rhythm, impulse control, social relationships
 	- **Construction games**: they learn to manipulate objects and to see how things are made
 	- **Competitive games**: they learn that there are rules that must be followed for things to work well
 	- **Fantasy games**: imagination, creativity and social skills are developed


## Guidance for parents


 	- At early ages it would be ideal to **play whenever we can**, to favor this space and enjoy it to the fullest.
 	- Depending on age, **alternate free activities with others that have rules**, but without the adult being an authoritarian figure, rather guiding the play.
 	- It is important that **they know how to choose their favorite games**, whether dolls or cars. What matters most than the type of game is the benefits these generate.
 	- Television, computers, consoles and tablets should not replace this space nor be used as a tool to keep children from bothering and to keep them entertained.
 	- We must give them opportunities to play with different materials, in different places to play, and **also encourage going to parks or museums** especially designed for the little ones

It is important to highlight that **play improves family bonds; sharing moments among all family members improves both the communication between children and parents and is what our children value most at these ages: our company!!**

![family games](/images/blog/2018/12/juegos-en-familia.webp)