Can I Join the Game?

A group of toddlers sat in a circle during a music therapy session. In the middle of the circle, there was a basket containing various percussion instruments. The toddlers each came up to the basket, chose an item and beat out a drumming rhythm with it. My son (a developmentally delayed toddler) reached into the basket and chose several items: a box, a bowl and a stick. The music therapist and the other staff members looked on curiously waiting to see what kind of sounds my son would produce. But my son didn’t drum. With a look of intense concentration on his face, he arranged the items in an interesting and organized formation. The “game” that my son had innovated elicited much excitement among the staff members. By playing a game, my son had revealed creativity and self-initiative, expressed his inner “I”, and most importantly, he had improvised a “game” that suited him exclusively. (Just as a reminder, my son is developmentally delayed and rarely displays enterprising skill.) While the original goal set down by the therapist wasn’t actually fulfilled, this play session nevertheless served as an opportunity to reach achievements previously thought to be a distant reality.

In order to understand the significance of free play, we need to first have a better understanding of how playtime impacts a child’s general development.

It’s Not Just Child’s Play!

Many adults mistakenly view playing as a pointless activity in which a child engages during his free time. A psychoanalyst by the name of Wincott says that playing should be viewed as a child’s “work”. This juvenile “job” involves a great deal of thought and spurs emotional, social, cognitive, and language development. (It should be noted that “playing” doesn’t only mean playing with a tangible object but includes any form of enterprising or imaginative play.) The playing process expresses the child’s interaction with the world around him.

Playing provides an opportunity for creativity, spontaneity and enjoyment for children and adults alike. In fact, playtime can be a yardstick by which to measure a child’s emotional health. According to Jean Piaget, a developmental psychologist: a child’s playing abilities develop in tandem with his cognitive development. For example, at fifteen months old a child learns how to point to objects that he wants. This ability encompasses cognitive development – the ability to signal his choices, as well as emotional development – the child learns that he can impact the world around him and his inner “I” is developed. These achievements help the child fine-tune his playing skills and he starts using his imagination (pretending to be eating or sleeping, mimicking real-life activities through a doll etc.) Social interaction is also a vital feature in the ability to engage in imaginary and role-playing games.

When a young child engages in play, he discovers new things, masters new skills, improves his problem-solving ability, and expresses hidden emotions. Playing also serves as an opportunity to enhance the child’s assertiveness, his motor skills and his language usage.

Playtime as Springboard for Progress

Now that we know that playing serves as a valuable tool in a child’s development, we can use it as a springboard for the child’s continued progress. According to Wincott’s method, an adult should be there with the child in order to broaden and enrich his intellectual sphere through the game that he is engaged in.

The adult can participate in the game in various ways (changing his voice, adding humor, filling a role) in order to get the child to cooperate and play along with him. Often, the child will say or do something that opens the door to the adult’s interaction. All we have to do is to be aware of these signals and respond to the “invitations”.

When a child initiates a game or shows interest in a particular object or action, he is tapping into his inner “I”, his emotional DNA which shapes his thoughts, feelings and preferences. By showing interest in his game, the adult will provide an outlet for the child’s creative expression, thus enriching his world. It’s important to note that the child should be his own boss and steer the play session to his liking. What we, as adults, need to do, is observe from the sideline and see how we can fall into step with his game. Our intervention will open up new windows for him and zoom in on his capabilities and character traits. For example: If a child is drumming on an object, we can join him along and watch for his reaction. Or we can try to interrupt him by placing our hand on the surface of his drumming and see how he will react. The child’s response will tell us a lot about his ability to cope with and overcome challenges.

Case in Point

Yossi, a three years old boy who was born prematurely and is developmentally delayed, has a tendency to hide behind chairs and other hiding spots in his classroom. Once, when his therapist walked into his classroom, she asked him for permission to join him in his hiding place. He gave his consent and they hid together behind a chair. The therapist turned to Yossi and said: “It’s nice hiding here, isn’t it?” Yossi answered: “Yes.” “So what are we going to do here?” she asked him. “Let’s eat,” was Yossi’s reply. They pretended to be eating for a few minutes and then, Yossi announced in a commander-like voice: “Okay, now we can leave the house!” Yossi was expressing his need to exercise control over “his” territory. This short play session was an extraordinary milestone; it was the first time Yossi used abstract language and engaged in imaginary play.

This is an example of how an adult intervened in a child’s “game” in order to achieve therapeutic goals.