Children’s Play and Learning – Perspectives and Policy Implications
The Role of Art and Play in Children’s Cognitive Development
“Brains are biologically given, minds are culturally acquired” (Cole, 1985)
When I think of childhood, my mind automatically think of running free with few life responsibilities, various kinds of play opportunities, casual and sometimes fleeting friendships, and eventually a school schedule that becomes more time consuming and serious with each year. This, of course, is my perspective as an adult with a young child, and is probably slightly idolized and envious due to the wide array of current responsibilities on my plate. This idolized glance back of play and art in the lives of children can, at first, not seem to be highly purposeful and only prevalent due to the limited responsibilities of childhood. However, retrospectively, and with the educational studies I have experienced, there is so much evidence that proves play and art have an intracle role in development.
“Both art and play, like imagination and fantasy, are not regarded as a part of the serious business of schooling. To be serious requires clear goals, a well thought out plan for achieving them and, perhaps, most of all, hard work.” (Eisner. 1990) Our current American society does not regard play and art as work possibilities. Generally they are kept very separate and with the current educational system, art and playtime are having less of a presence, while other academics and activities take precedence. There are many different types of play that develop different types of skills and a variety of art forms as well. It isn’t all free and without purpose, as some might think.
In regards to play, there is explorative play, games with rules, parallel playing, and performance. These different kinds or play can help children develop interpersonal skills, listening skills, public speaking skills, improvisation skills, and most importantly allow them to “determine the possibilities of objects, events, qualities, and ideas.” (Eisner. 1990) Exploring the imagination can later lead to interesting story writing, play writing, scientific hypothesis, to name a few. Music can help with math, dance can help children stay fit and learn about their anatomy and physical limits and possibilities of their body.
In regards to art, there is physical art (painting, drawing, collage, puppetry, clay, etc), music, and dance. These different art forms can help children make sense of their world using their senses. The more a child is exposed to, the more opportunities they have for advancement. The more you read o a child, the larger their vocabulary, the wider variety of food you given them, the more advanced their palate, etc. Allowing children to get messy, play, and experience the world around them by touching, observing, and testing things out, can only lead to a greater understanding. Art can additionally be an excellent way for children to express themselves, help them to figure out their own personal voice.
By a very young age, children spend majority of their time in school. Due to the amount to time spent there, it can become one of their strongest influences. Their development, cognitive and physical, is also affected by the home and/or day care experiences they had prior to having a regular school schedule. The nature of the family, the amount they were read to, time spent in nature, food they ate, all play a role. After a child’s school schedule picks up, those “home” components still play an important role in the development of children. Providing artistic experiences in the school setting for children can open their eyes of perception. Encouraging children to observe different kinds of art forms and experience them themselves can lend a hand in various academic subjects. Science, for example, uses a very similar process to that of the artistic experience. Art and play: “Both engage imagination, both require reflection, both profit from skill, both seek to generate new forms of experience, both lead to invention, and both are marginalized in the priorities of American education.” (Eisner. 1990)
