The importance of play in people's lives (children and adults)

Although it may not seem like it, you will surely be surprised to know that play is an activity that, although it may or may not be social, is very relevant for the fun of boys and girls as well as essential for them to grow and develop various basic skills for learning, communicating. healthy and understand what is happening in your environment.

But…what is there in adults? Well, despite popular belief, playing can be a great help to improve various aspects of life and in some circumstances, this activity can even be therapeutic. We invite you to stay and continue reading to learn about the benefits that play has at different stages of life. As we will see, play is not just a child's affair, but a fun activity. for all ages .

In childhood, of course, play becomes vital for children. Each traditional game translates into fun (and important!) activities that will develop the bases of socialization and communication, from respect and empathy to instilling hygiene rules. Research is clear that games even help improve speech, reduce stress and enhance the optimal state to retain and understand more information, which translates into better school performance.

Relevance of play during childhood

And who talks about so many benefits, which, by the way, have been lost? For example, a recent study by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) shows that the benefits of play in areas as different as self-regulation and prosocial behaviors are being underestimated in today's society.

The rise of mobile screens, the extra hours of work of fathers and mothers, and the current COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in pediatricians having to "prescribe at least 2 hours a day to play."

Children from the last decade onwards can spend on average up to 4 hours of exposure to screens (tablet, television, etc.), which leads to a general development below the ideal threshold in childhood. To address this problem, practical solutions are also offered, such as enrolling children in extracurricular programs that have play-based learning modalities.

Playing is so important that it influences the construction of everything that the boy or girl can be when he or she reaches adulthood.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) emphasizes play as a method of taking risks and experiencing your environment. In summary, playing directly and indirectly helps:

• Problem resolution
• Improvements at the molecular level (epigenetic)
• Neural connectivity and executive functioning
• Self-regulation of emotions

And much more!

This is why recess also becomes important for boys and girls. What's more, the AAP has observed that countries with longer recess periods also have a higher percentage of good school performance.

Type of games that stimulate children and adults

In the context of traditional games, parents, pediatricians and teachers have a role as a subtle guide for boys and girls. Games also allow adults to release stress, put themselves in the role of the little ones in the home and remember details from their own childhood, making the experience satisfactory for both parties and benefiting social ties.

Offering the little ones different types of traditional physical play, outdoors and with friends of different ages ensures that they grow up healthily and become happy adults. Sharing these experiences tells children that:

• We love them and consider them important.
• We teach them a basic language of love and affection.
• They will understand, for the first time, the importance of validating emotions, understanding them and regulating them.
• It will help your motor and body development

And as we have said before in Fun Surprises, the simpler, more common and cheaper the game is, the better it can be! So what do we propose? For the little ones, just dance, imitate animal sounds and include some dolls, such as our My first Antonio Juan , or accessories at an early age.

Games are a key behavior in the evolution of all species, as can be seen even in our furry animals such as cats, dogs, rabbits, etc. who play at any age. In human beings this does not have to be different, since although it seems like an activity done for the simple pleasure of doing it, it has benefits for adults. Below we detail some of them:

• Games between adults help release accumulated tension regardless of the underlying symptoms, such as anxiety, stress or sadness. Given the spontaneity of the game, the mind technically It frees itself, it disconnects us from everyday life.
• Increases creativity and self-esteem, makes us feel better.
• Promotes problem solving and keeps the mind and body in shape.

Even the most accepted games among adults, such as cards, chess and video games, provide distraction mechanisms as necessary for people as healthy eating. By extension, sport is also considered recreational activities.

How to play again as an adult

Playing again can be difficult if we have lived for a long time thinking that playing is only for children, and therefore, having fun like this translates into being less adult.

Furthermore, the constant narrative coming from Industrialization has sold us the concept of having to produce all the time, since time without producing is time wasted. This "lost" time is valuable for all people, and it is even known that for the elderly and elderly it is a fundamental element to maintain adequate health . And why would it be so important to understand this?

For the reason that the game keeps the mind young thanks to the participation of deduction, imagination and creativity; The past is reconstructed (memory is strengthened) and even allows the elderly to naturalize and express their greatest fears in an enjoyable way. So don't be afraid or ashamed, playing is for all ages!

Be that as it may, there are therapies such as laughter therapy or dance therapy that help men and women let their inner child flow. In itself, games can be used as another tool to avoid and reduce problems of depression or other mental disorders, as well as make the treatment of these conditions more complete, faster and personalized.

In Fun Surprises We have already understood that, although the largest audience for our dolls is girls, it is completely healthy for children and other adults to buy dolls, collect them and play with them.