Play is important in every child’s development and when the opportunity is missed the child would be cut off from a significant portion of childhood, which is building good relationships and cognitive development.
Pediatrics as a specialty area Is not only concerned about growth charts or spurts of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults but total development which includes the physical, mental, emotional as well as social.
Researches have proven that play enhances children’s capacity to plan, organize, get along well with peers, relieve stress as well as control their emotions.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) clinical report in 2007, “The Power of Play” explains how playing with peers and parents enhances children’s social bonds and is key to the growing brain and body of the child.
Abraham Maslow further supports that “almost all creativity involves purposeful play”, therefore the pediatric fraternity sees play as an integral part of children’s development.
In light of this, most paediatric units have playrooms where sick children play and this is seen at Paediatric Department of Greater Accra Regional (Ridge) Hospital where patients have time at the playroom.
Interestingly, as nurses, one of the first observational signs of recovery for children is the willingness to play.
Parents, therefore, must assist children to engage in purposeful physical play and avoid long hours by TV and computer games.
Indoor games such as Lego, Ludu, Oware, ‘counters ball’, enhances cognitive/brain development and enriches subjects like mathematics. Football, Amp3, Bicycling, Hopscotch and pushing of “Cho Lorry” by toddlers, enhances balance and muscle tone.
Talents are also unearthed and developed through singing, dancing, role play, clay craft, and painting. These and many more can be done at home amidst physical
distancing protocols.
In as much as the play is important, parents must protect children from home accidents such as falls, choking, and injuries during the play through close observation and coaching, ensuring floors are dry, electrical cables are not exposed, injurious objects such as sharp objects and broken toys are kept away.
Also, parents must see to it that they teach children to have a bath after play or wash their hands with soap under running water and the use of hand sanitizer in-between and after play.
