Play Builds Better Bonds: The Social and Emotional Benefits of Play

Play Builds Better Bonds: The Social and Emotional Benefits of Play


Watch your baby’s face as you play a game of peek-a-boo, and you know how much your little one loves play. Few things in life can beat the time you spend together. Play can comfort an irritable child and relieve your stress at the same time. But did you know the emotional benefits of play last long after you’ve put the toys away for the evening?

Play has a lasting impact on your child’s emotional and social development. Through play, children learn to take turns and compromise. They learn the language skills necessary to ask questions and carry on a conversation. Play can also build confidence, spark creativity, and restore a feeling of balance to an overwrought child.

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Lack of play opportunities, on the other hand, can have devastating results. After Charles Whitman shot 46 people from the University of Texas Tower in 1966, psychiatrist and assistant professor Stuart Brown was assigned to study the case. He interviewed 26 convicted killers and found an interesting common feature in their profiles. All of the criminals reported that they did not play as children.

Play Tips for Social and Emotional Development:

So what types of games and activities build social development in young children? Read on for a few simple ideas.

  • Stack some plastic cups and let them fall down. Show your toddler how to stack them again. Giggle or squeal with delight when the cups come tumbling down. Your own reactions to surprising events teaches your little one flexibility and resilience.
  • Teach your baby the hand signs for common words, such as more, snack, drink, and play. When babies are able to communicate their needs through signs, they show less frustration and even speak more quickly.
  • Show enthusiasm when your little one attempts those first words. Raise your eye brows to show interest and respond quickly to requests. Repeat back and expand upon what your toddler says. For example, if your toddler says, “Drink,” you can say, “Oh, you want a drink of milk. Okay.” These conversations fuel your child’s desire to communicate and also model more advanced vocabulary and sentence structure.
  • Play “snuggle and cuddle” games. Babies and toddlers almost always enjoy being tickled or cuddled. Sway baby from side to side, blow raspberries on her tummy, or rub her legs with a towel after bath time. Babies and toddlers need lots of physical contact, which builds trust and creates a feeling of security.
  • Go to the park or story hour. Toddlers and babies don’t always play directly with other children, but they enjoy observing them and can learn valuable social nuances from these experiences.
  • Articulate your child’s emotions. When your little one is crying, say something along the lines of, “That made you sad when Katie took your toy. I can see how upset you are.” Researchers have found that when children can identify the emotions they are experiencing, they are better able to calm down and process those emotions in positive ways.

(Playful Bee is launching our new DIY Preschool from Birth program! Click here to enroll.)

For more information:

Zero to Three. Development of Social-Emotional Skills. Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. Retrieved April 15, 2013, from http://www.zerotothree.org/child-development/social-emotional-development/social-emotional-development.html.

Wenner, Melinda (2009). The Serious Need for Play. Scientific American. Retrieved April 15, 2013, from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-serious-need-for-play.

The Best Chance. Ages 6–9 Months: Social and Emotional Development. The Best Chance: Giving You and Your Child the Best Chance for a Healthy Life. Retrieved April 15, 2013, from http://www.bestchance.gov.bc.ca/you-and-your-toddler-0-36/toddler-development/ages-6-9-months/social-and-emotional-development.html.

Julie Christensen

Julie Christensen taught early childhood education in public and private settings for more than 20 years. Today, she’s a freelance writer and the busy mom of four terrific kids. She lives in Colorado and loves camping, hiking and exploring the Rocky Mountains with her kids and husband.

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