Playing in a Pandemic: The Value of Play by Kaylia Davis

Play “Wait, what? It’s a pandemic time! There is absolutely no time to frolic.” I capture such feedback from teachers, students, and parents blackened from the strains of the Covid-19 pandemic. Here, we examine the survival value of play in helping children, adolescents, and even adults in grasping the vital skills for confronting the catastrophes of the pandemic. Play teaches us navigation skills by improving tremendously our emotional, social, and cognitive spheres. What better time to play than in a pandemic?

The Profit of Playing

Brown and Vaughan (2009) postulated that play is, ‘an absorbing, apparently purposeless activity that provides enjoyment and a suspension of self-consciousness and sense of time.’ There are diverse modes of play according to Smith (2010). These are social contingency play, sensorimotor play, object play, language play, physical play and fantasy play. There are a plethora of compelling reasons we should participate in play.

The Delights of Play

Play constructs another dimension where emotions can be safely felt, expressed, and controlled (Henricks, 2008). The epidemic has an adverse impact on the psychological well-being of children and adolescents. The weight of home confinement is insufferable, and many are arrested by the dread and horror of dying or losing a loved one. The frustration of online learning has caused many to reckon themselves defeated while others are wrestling with self-destructive urges. Furthermore, heightened by the pandemic, the sluggish economy has resulted in their parent’s strain to amply provide as many have experienced job losses or substantial loss in income; It has been overwhelmingly distressing for children. It is then evident that our children require a place of refuge, where they are graciously permitted to feel enjoyment and recline in the relaxation, the restoration, the comedy, the joyous excitement, the pleasure, and the calm through whatever forms of play they choose. Emotional well-being is vital for their survival and development, and a fundamental tool for self-actualizing. Thus, play is filled with rewards and releases the happy chemicals in the brain like dopamine, serotonin, and endorphin which are crucial for reducing anxiety and depression (Healthline, 2021).

Play As Cognitive Fuel

Unquestionably, play is enriched fuel for learning. Among the incredible obstacles students are confronted with, academic attainment is in jeopardy as performance has declined considerably with the transition from conventional education to electronic learning. Instruction and assessment have taken an advanced shape and students are lamenting the inconsistencies of internet connections, inability to comprehend the content, and not to mention the immense workload given to compensate for lost time. Notwithstanding the learning inadequacies, there is a correlation between play and cognitive vitality as it serves as a powerhouse for the prefrontal cortex known for executive functions such as attention, memory, planning, decision making, and self-control. Shift an eye to the historic past, from an archaeological angle, object play is packed with creative and problem-solving energy and that can be seen from the wealth of the primitives through their artifacts. A few of which are reasonably believed to have been fashioned through object play (Riede et al., 2017). This interaction with objects awarded them the insight to invent technologies that expanded continuity, exquisite cave arts through which younger ones could assimilate knowledgeof their predators, and architectonic design of homes that served as a covering from danger. Children and adolescents need this ‘candy’ that transmit these adaptive energies indispensable for the manifold changes and complexities of a pandemic through fantasy, ground-breaking exploration, and contact with diverse play systems. This provides a platform for them to learn how to assess problems and discover and select possible routes to take. In light of the pandemic, play transforms them into curious, critical-minded, creative inventors and problem solvers that hop out of the box, the container that suffocates and transfer their knowledge into required tools for survival. Frustrated brains crammed with work don’t learn, they need play to allow their neurons to create and connect producing a charged brain ready to absorb information. They need not only papers acclaiming their knowledge but knowing how to connect the …s.

Therefore, educators should renounce that toxic pedagogy that play is a fool’s errand. A play-based approach is vital not only at an early childhood level but across all levels of education to intensify learning and all forms should be incorporated in instruction. Though virtual, teaching should appropriately include physical play so that students aren’t stuck around a computer. It delivers physical and physiological benefits of the exercise that boosts their constitution producing better bodies and better brains. Play! Our precious children need all flavours of it.

Community through Social Play

From playing cards with a dear friend at recess to a thrilling game of football on the weekend, social play gives meaningful connection and a sense of belongingness to children. The isolation resulting from the pandemic is a valuable reminder of how crucial community is for survival. Peer relationships and social groups are needed for children to learn the necessary social skills. Through playing they know they are not alone. These bonds formed through social play are a fierce resistance to depression and anxiety as they release happy chemicals such as oxytocin through social interaction. Also, this chemical works on the anterior cingulate cortex responsible for regulating emotions and developing empathy (Bosch & Young, 2019).

Parents Playing with their Child: Creating a culture of play in the home

Adults should properly nourish their elan vital through play. Even though it has been strenuous with some working from home and home-schooling, scheduling time to tenderly love and soothe one’s thoughts through play for restoration is imperative. Can you imagine a fresh burst of profound insight and creative inspiration for your work project or a business idea? That assuredly won’t come stuck behind the mighty wall of seriousness, you too need playfulness to earnestly strive. Allow your inner child to have fun and integrate the innovative idea she gives into your adult life. Your significant relationships also need playfulness to endure. Have playtime with your children now that they are home. It’s a great place to ripen trust and a certified way for developing listening skills and emotional empathy. They can be vulnerable and appreciate autonomy, which allows them to better process and apply educational materials, feel a sense of ecstatic delight and reliable connection which undoubtedly establish foundations for self-actualization. Children and adults can reap the sweet fruits of playfulness starting from the home.

In the final analysis, playing in a pandemic doesn’t make our children frivolous. It sufficiently shows that they know the indispensable tools for survival and adjustability and so I earnestly recommend they take a healthy dose of play. What better time to play than now?

References

Bosch, J. O., Young, J. L. (2019). Oxytocin and Social Relationships: From Attachment to

Bond Disruption. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5815947/

Brown, S., Vaughan, C. (2009). Play: How it shapes the brain, opens the imagination, and

invigorates the soul. Retrieved from https://www.pdfdrive.com/play-how-it-shapes- the-

brain-opens-the-imagination-and invigorates-the-soul-e193206385.html

Healthline. Happy Chemicals (2021). Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/serotonin

Henricks, T. (2008). The nature of play. American Journal of Play. Retrieved from

http://www.designfakulteten.kth.se/sites/default/files/the_nature_of_play_an_overvie.pdf

Riede, F., Johannsen, N. N., Hogberg, A., Nowell, A., & Lombard, M. (2018). The role of play

objects and object play in human cognitive evolution and innovation. Evolutionary Anthropology. Retrieved from https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/161544158.pdf

Smith, K, P. (2010). Children and Play: Understanding Children’s World. Retrieved from

https://books.google.com.jm/books?hl=en&lr=&id=MLLhoS7LDEkC&oi=fnd&pg=P R5&ots=VWfJE_yiCr&sig=qIzA3ZWzMNV4VjhLKQOpN8JD1oA&redir_esc=y#v

=onepage&q&f=false

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