Play during Leisure for Cognitive Development of Children through Mental Engagements - Assignment Example

Reflective Study (Personal Critique) Week 11- The bright side of Leisure Leisure and play Name: Instructor: Institution: Date: Different people choose to spend their leisure time in different ways depending on individual preference provided it the chosen option serves to address the three core components of leisure; intrinsic motivation, enjoyment and freedom of choice. Games and play are the major conventionally preferred and wide leisure engagements especially for young people. Most cultures worldwide still hold to the perception that childhood development aspects such as cognitive ability as well as social, physical and emotional development occurs through play. (JEWELL, D. L. ,2007). With such backing reasons and fundamental perceptions, most parents have opted and encouraged play during leisure as a key component of childhood development. Play, taken as a leisure pursuit, provides a magnificent opportunity for young children to explore their mental mystery, exercise esteem values and get to socially interact with their peers and age groups. (JEWELL, D. L.,2007, et’ al ). Such like engagements are what finally culminates into individual characters and personalities. Looking back at the definition of leisure, engagement in freely chosen activities that are intrinsically motivating, enjoyable (either in anticipation, participation or recollection), and are perceived as exercise of total freedom, play thus caters for all the basic necessities of leisure. It can subsequently be classified under the brighter side of leisure since it has a positive implication on individual participants. Play during leisure provides for cognitive development of children through mental engagements that sharpen and brighten up their mental judgements, perception reasoning and general decision making. Cognitive development during play for instance is mainly achieved through two broad classes of thing; divergent thinking and convergent thinking. (CUSHMAN, G., VEAL, A. J., & ZUZANEK, J.,2005). During play, young children often use a variety of material and play aids, each for a different game or sport. Exposure to such playing kits and materials inspires the children to invoke their creative and innovative mind, often improvising and modifying the available play tools to come up with anew game or form of sport. On this note, some young people will shrug off certain games and associate them of certain gender, either girlish or boyish for that matter. For example, if a group of children is left out to play with small cubes as imaginary cars; chances are that the same kids might eventually use the same cube as blocks to make small imaginary houses. This is an example of innovative and creative imagination which is developed as a result of divergent thinking during play. On the other hand, continuous engagement and participation in a certain form of play familiarises such young minds with almost every aspects of the play. It makes them master the concept and game rationale hence ability to try and engage into more challenging tasks of the game with hope of using prior knowledge earlier on learnt, hence convergent thinking. (HUMAN KINETICS (ORGANIZATION), 2013). Established games like soccer have relied on both convergent and divergent thinking to build incredible talents. Once a talent is identified, the young individual is introduced to the basic concepts of the game and allowed to exploit as much as he or she can into the same game with little guidance and direction. Amazing enough, such great talents are often identified during leisure plays. Childhood social development is often build and developed through play. Play allows such young people to interact with their peers, meet new members of their play team as well as develop skills necessary for such mutual coexistence and mutual relationship. (LINDON, J., 2001). Most of the childhood open field plays often involve role playing and simulation of real world tasks where each member of the play team has a task to execute within the team. Some play games go as far as requiring for leadership skills among the participant. Young people therefore develop interdependence skills. Self-esteem, a critical component of individuality and character is largely developed and enhanced through play. For example, a new member of a play team will often be shy to engage in the game and thus opt to watch others play. With time, he develops courage though not sufficient and passively contributes engages in the play, often playing alongside other but not with them. As time goes, and with continued interaction, such a new member gains sufficient courage and confidence and is eventually integrated into the game to play with others. During this stage of social development, young children are so keen and observant and easily picks after anything they observe. Negative traits such as violence and bully characters can easily be developed during this stage as children virtually try out anything they observe. (HUMAN KINETICS (ORGANIZATION), 2013). Video games that involve fighting and shooting such smack down and action packed movies can easily develop the social characters of such young minds in a negative manner. For this reason, even though leisure should be freedom based, parents should be equally involved, often providing the relevant guidance towards the social development as might be gained through play games. The third benefit gained from play as a leisure engagement for young children is that they develop emotionally. Emotional development is related to the rate at which one engages an active mind. Children develop their judgemental conscience and critical evaluation, often differentiating morally acceptable behaviours from those that they consider, attaching emotions to certain scenarios and suggesting motives behind some actions. (HUMAN KINETICS (ORGANIZATION), 2010). These skills are learnt from the nature of the diverse games children and young people engage in. some games have got rules and subsequent punishment for anyone who goes against the norms. Others involve emotional resistance and resilience where participant is required to restrain and perhaps hold back any aggressive feelings for the sake of the game. As they continuously engage in the games, they get to critically analyse the rationale and implications of such rules of the game. For instance, in a game of soccer, the basic concept is that serious fouls will either attract a yellow card or a red card. However, with subsequent emotional development and judgemental ability, the participants will assess the implications of both the red card as well as the yellow card. In the end, a participant may intentionally commit a foul to attract a yellow card while saving the team from conceding since he understands the consequences of the card. Such player will however avoid committing another foul to warrant a red card for he understands the consequences of the card on the team and individually as well. The rationale behind this is that participants learn the exact weight of the offence and penalty hence developing a judgemental mind on which rules can be broken for mutual benefit. Play also enhances physical development of young people and children. The rigorous physical activities involved in play games such as running around, dancing, jumps, limb movements, rope skipping improves the wellbeing and physical health. This is at times well elaborated through the “Use it or Lose it Phenomenon”. This phenomenon explains that each physical possession on one’s body has a distinct and unique capability. It’s upon the individual to harness and exploit such potential or chose to lose it through failure to use it. (GIBBONS, J. L., & STILES, D. A. , 2004). Play thus becomes a sort of fake it until you make it approach, one keeps on trying on different skills to identify where he or she is best fitted. According to physicians, such activities enhance the respiration processes in the body, breakdown of food substance to release energy. Constant physical exercisers therefore have little chances of having excess fat or cholesterol. Obesity, a common childhood phenomenon, can easily be avoided through continuous exercising as through playing and sports. Many children end up obese due to consumption of junk food with less physical exercise. Obesity has in some instances been associated with low self-esteem due to inability to engage in peer games, especially physically demanding games among young people. (CUSHMAN, G., VEAL, A. J., & ZUZANEK, J. ,2005 et’ al) A good blend of on-the-coach games, indoor games and outdoor games will therefore effectively provide sufficient body exercises to burn such excess calories that could otherwise result into obesity or overweight children. Besides the numerous skills gained in the various games, play also enhances mental coordination; the ability to synchronize the mind with body movements. Through mastery of the various skills, participants end up building on their self-esteem. For instance, a good mastery will always lead to exemplary performance and prowess in the game which subsequently attracts some sort of pride from the participant and therefore high self-confidence and esteem amongst peers. (BOWMAN, S. L., 2010). Play has been and therefore continues a most prefer option for leisure more so for children and young people. Freedom during leisure on the other hand determines how much one gains from leisure engagements of choice. (FREIRE, T. ,2013). As for play, parents and other responsible adults should clearly understand that the fate of childhood greatly depends on what children do during moments when such parents, instructors or any other responsible adult are not within reach. Such responsible individuals should evaluate each probable game and provide a range from which children can now exercise their freedom by selecting from the already scrutinised list. Some play games are dangerous physically, emotionally and even mentally. While play is encouraged for physical development and growth, accidents during such play time are common and some are even critical. Mischiefs sometimes happen and children find themselves n socially degrading engagements such as bully and violent personalities. (GREEN, L. , 2010).). In the course of trying out new adventures and creative innovations, young people might end up engaging in and picking up bad habits such as drug abuse and related vices. This is often common in paly situations that bring together children from different backgrounds. While a child’s use of his or her free time may open up a new world of adventures and innovative future, a child is still not capable of making right decisions and therefore there should be a responsible person to keep watch. During free time, children make important decisions such as those relating to their choices in life, ambitions, preferences and find opportunity to try out acting on their personal inclinations. References FREIRE, T. (2013). Positive leisure science from subjective experience to social contexts. Dordrecht, Springer GIBBONS, J. L., & STILES, D. A. (2004). The thoughts of youth: an international perspective on adolescents' ideal persons. Greenwich, Conn, Information Age Publ. HUMAN KINETICS (ORGANIZATION). (2010). Dimensions of leisure for life: individuals and society. Champaign, Ill, Human Kinetics. HUMAN KINETICS (ORGANIZATION). (2013). Introduction to recreation and leisure. Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL. JEWELL, D. L. (2007). Reflections on leisure, play, and recreation. Carbondale, Southern Illinois University Press. LINDON, J. (2001). Understanding children's play. Cheltenham, N. Thornes. CUSHMAN, G., VEAL, A. J., & ZUZANEK, J. (2005). Free time and leisure participation international perspectives. Wallingford, UK, CABI Pub HUMAN KINETICS (ORGANIZATION). (2013). Introduction to recreation and leisure. Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL BOWMAN, S. L. (2010). The functions of role-playing games how participants create community, solve problems and explore identity. Jefferson, N.C., McFarland & Co GREEN, L. (2010). Understanding the life course: sociological and psychological perspectives. Cambridge, Polity. Read More