The implications of playing often and playing well have benefits on children and their mental health that begin in youth and extend into adulthood. However, as children become more involved in extracurricular activities designed to ensure academic success, playtime is reduced, and children get less time to do the things they love. This reduction of playtime and introduction of stressors places children in a unique situation in which proper brain development is put at risk. 

The relationship between play and stress varies from case to case. In some situations, a child’s desire to play is unstoppable. In others, the urge to play decreases—specifically, in those situations in which something called toxic stress is present. 

Children experience toxic stress when they face long-term adversity without proper guidance or support from an adult. This can take the form of physical or emotional abuse, neglect, exposure to violence, and more. The Center on the Developing Child notes that when children experience this level of stress for a prolonged period of time, the development of their brain and other organ systems can be disrupted. 

So, what exactly does play have to do with mental health? Well, play is a rewarding activity, and children report being happier after free and unstructured play. Together, the unlimited bounds of play and its challenges help children develop resilience, understand their emotions, become more aware of their body, and better cope with adversity and stress. Additional benefits of unstructured playtime include the formation of healthy relationships, the improvement of concentration, and the development of emotion regulation. 

Play also serves as the body’s way of regulating the stress response. Though experts agree that the stress response can be helpful in small amounts, stress becomes dangerous when those manageable amounts aren’t relived. With that in mind, it’s important for parents and caregivers to spend time playing with their children to enforce the habit of finding time to have fun. When they understand the activities that help them relax and bring joy when they’re young, it is much easier for children make time for those things when they’re older. 

Incorporating play into stressful situations can also help children better regulate their emotions. When children have the opportunity to play with unfamiliar individuals before entering a stressful situation, these children experience less stress than those who enter the environment without having the opportunity to play. Additionally, a few minutes of playful interaction with friends and strangers alike can allow children to form more meaningful and empathetic connections with others.

Play, at its heart, is important to the developing minds and bodies of children, but that’s not the end of its benefits. Playing is also necessary to build strong, meaningful connections between people, relieve stress, and foster an environment where children feel safe sharing their feelings with others. Children who identify the things they find pleasure in while young can turn to those activities when they are stressed or feeling sad as adults. 

In addition to promoting free and unstructured play, PoWeR! Book Bags wants to inform people about the importance of children having a positive relationship with mental health, which begins in childhood play. Keep reading to access more resources on the intersection of play and mental health.

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