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Play for Goodness’ Sake: Supporting Children’s Development

By Sarah Earles, MS, LPC, NCC | September 19, 2025

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Play is a useful tool for therapy and teaching. Play is also important in and of itself. Adults, caregivers, and parents should encourage children to engage in play just for play’s sake.

What is play? Play consists of “self-chosen and self-directed” activities that are “imaginative…mentally removed…from ‘real…life’” (Gray, 2008). These activities are sought for the sake of enjoyment, rather than means to some specific end (APA Dictionary of Psychology, n.d.). For this reason, some professionals prefer to refer to activities that occur in therapy and school as “play-based” rather than actual play (Gray, 2022). Children need the unstructured, freely chosen play just as much as they can learn through play activities.
Why play? Play is important for the development of children. It helps them grow physically, cognitively, mentally, and emotionally (Ginsburg, 2007). Play helps brains mature (Bales, 2022). It grows communication (Wasserman, 2018). Play helps develop imagination, which can promote creative thinking and problem solving (Ginsburg). Play provides an arena in which to build relationship (Exchange Family Center, 2018). Play helps nurture healthy self-esteem (Voice of Play, n.d.). Play is just good!
How to encourage play: Adults, caregivers, and parents have a role in promoting healthy play in children. Some children from hard places need to be taught to play, as their circumstances never afforded them that luxury. Adults can introduce children to a variety of toys and objects to use in play, visit playgrounds, or go to natural areas such as lakes or trails (Yogman, 2023). Caregivers and parents can make time for play, rather than completely filling a child’s schedule (Laing, 2015). Unstructured time is just as important as structured time (Bright Horizons, 2021). Adults can help protect this.

While there are not necessarily “right,” ways to play, there is the potential for forcing play on children in “wrong” ways. Play-based learning and teaching is important, but should not be all of children’s play. Children need play for play’s sake – for the good of their development, both present and future.

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Play is a useful tool for therapy and teaching. Play is also important in and of itself. Adults, caregivers, and parents should encourage children to engage in play just for play’s sake.

What is play? Play consists of “self-chosen and self-directed” activities that are “imaginative…mentally removed…from ‘real…life’” (Gray, 2008). These activities are sought for the sake of enjoyment, rather than means to some specific end (APA Dictionary of Psychology, n.d.). For this reason, some professionals prefer to refer to activities that occur in therapy and school as “play-based” rather than actual play (Gray, 2022). Children need the unstructured, freely chosen play just as much as they can learn through play activities.
Why play? Play is important for the development of children. It helps them grow physically, cognitively, mentally, and emotionally (Ginsburg, 2007). Play helps brains mature (Bales, 2022). It grows communication (Wasserman, 2018). Play helps develop imagination, which can promote creative thinking and problem solving (Ginsburg). Play provides an arena in which to build relationship (Exchange Family Center, 2018). Play helps nurture healthy self-esteem (Voice of Play, n.d.). Play is just good!
How to encourage play: Adults, caregivers, and parents have a role in promoting healthy play in children. Some children from hard places need to be taught to play, as their circumstances never afforded them that luxury. Adults can introduce children to a variety of toys and objects to use in play, visit playgrounds, or go to natural areas such as lakes or trails (Yogman, 2023). Caregivers and parents can make time for play, rather than completely filling a child’s schedule (Laing, 2015). Unstructured time is just as important as structured time (Bright Horizons, 2021). Adults can help protect this.

While there are not necessarily “right,” ways to play, there is the potential for forcing play on children in “wrong” ways. Play-based learning and teaching is important, but should not be all of children’s play. Children need play for play’s sake – for the good of their development, both present and future.

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References

APA Dictionary of Psychology. (n.d.). Play. https://dictionary.apa.org/play

Bales, D. W. (2022, December 16). The importance of play in baby’s brain development. University of Georgia Extension. https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=C1053-10&title=the-importance-of-play-in-babys-brain-development

Bright Horizons. (2021, May 1). How unstructured play can encourage healthy risk-taking in children. https://www.brighthorizons.com/resources/article/how-unstructured-play-can-encourage-healthy-risk-taking-in-children

Exchange Family Center. (2018, April 10). Connecting with your child through play: The surprising benefits of parent-child playtime. https://www.exchangefamilycenter.org/exchange-family-center-blog/2018/4/10/connecting-with-your-child-through-play-the-surprising-benefits-of-parent-child-playtime

Ginsburg, K.R. (2007). The importance of play in promoting healthy child development and maintaining strong parent-child bonds. Pediatrics 119 (1): 182–191. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2006-2697

Gray, P. (2008, November 19). The value of play I: The definition of play gives insights. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/freedom-learn/200811/the-value-play-i-the-definition-play-gives-insights

Gray, P. (2022, May 15). What is play? How children define it. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/freedom-learn/202205/what-is-play-how-children-define-it

Laing, S. (2015). Guidelines for encouraging healthy play. Creative Living with Children. https://www.creativelivingwithchildren.com/nurturing-childrens-growth-2/play/guidelines-for-healthy-play/

Voice of Play. (n.d.). Benefits of play. https://voiceofplay.org/benefits-of-play/

Wasserman, K. (2018, January 8). The importance of play to promote communication. CommuniKids. https://communikidsnj.com/importance-play-promote-communication/

Yogman, M. (2023, May 3). The power of play: How fun and games help children thrive. HealthyChildre.org. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/power-of-play/Pages/the-power-of-play-how-fun-and-games-help-children-thrive.aspx

References

APA Dictionary of Psychology. (n.d.). Play. https://dictionary.apa.org/play

Bales, D. W. (2022, December 16). The importance of play in baby’s brain development. University of Georgia Extension. https://extension.uga.edu/publications/
detail.html?number=C1053-10&title=the-importance-of-play-in-babys-brain-development

Bright Horizons. (2021, May 1). How unstructured play can encourage healthy risk-taking in children. https://www.brighthorizons.com/
resources/article/how-unstructured-play-can-encourage-healthy-risk-taking-in-children

Exchange Family Center. (2018, April 10). Connecting with your child through play: The surprising benefits of parent-child playtime. https://www.exchangefamilycenter.org/
exchange-family-center-blog/2018/4/10/connecting-with-your-child-through-play-the-surprising-benefits-of-parent-child-playtime

Ginsburg, K.R. (2007). The importance of play in promoting healthy child development and maintaining strong parent-child bonds. Pediatrics 119 (1): 182–191. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2006-2697

Gray, P. (2008, November 19). The value of play I: The definition of play gives insights. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/
blog/freedom-learn/200811/the-value-play-i-the-definition-play-gives-insights

Gray, P. (2022, May 15). What is play? How children define it. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/
blog/freedom-learn/202205/what-is-play-how-children-define-it

Laing, S. (2015). Guidelines for encouraging healthy play. Creative Living with Children. https://www.creativeliving
withchildren.com/nurturing-childrens-growth-2/play/guidelines-for-healthy-play/

Voice of Play. (n.d.). Benefits of play. https://voiceofplay.org/benefits-of-play/

Wasserman, K. (2018, January 8). The importance of play to promote communication. CommuniKids. https://communikidsnj.com/importance-play-promote-communication/

Yogman, M. (2023, May 3). The power of play: How fun and games help children thrive. HealthyChildre.org. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/
family-life/power-of-play/Pages/the-power-of-play-how-fun-and-games-help-children-thrive.aspx

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