How Play Builds Emotional Regulation in Children

 By Stephanie Francis

A young child’s brain is working overtime, constantly developing new pathways to make sense of the world.  Along with walking, talking, eating, and tying their shoes, children also have to learn how to respond to life’s challenges.  How will they react when things don’t go their way, or when a friend is suffering?  What happens when life takes an unexpected turn?  The skill of managing one’s emotions in a healthy and positive way is called emotional regulation - and it is not innate.  Just like learning how to read, kids have to learn how to manage their emotions by practicing, making mistakes, and trying again. For this, play is one of the most powerful tools in the young brain’s toolbox, and all of the different types of play reap their own unique benefits.

 

The prefrontal cortex, the region of the brain responsible for emotions, decision-making, and self-control, is not considered fully mature until a person reaches their mid-20s.  That means that every child we encounter in the world is still figuring out how to exist in it.  When children play, not only are their brains releasing endorphins (i.e., they’re having fun), they are also rehearsing emotional responses in a safe and controlled setting.  It is common for children at play to reenact scenarios they are facing in their real life, imagining different potential outcomes and working out the best responses.  When a child has to wait their turn to go down a slide, they are practicing patience and learning to delay gratification. When children play with each other, they practice communication and empathy skills. Each one of these experiences builds a new pathway in the brain, making it easier to handle that situation the next time it is faced.

 

Imaginative Play

Imaginative play is when a child gets to be in control of the story.  Maybe they are the hero that gets to save the day! Maybe they are an animal that has to forage for food to survive the winter. Maybe they can fly, or dive underwater, or travel at super-speed.  Regardless of the story, the power of pretend play is that the child gets to decide what happens.  In this way, play becomes like a dress-rehearsal for real life.  Children get to practice problem-solving by thinking about how they would handle a situation without facing the actual stakes that a real-life scenario could impose.  As a result, when they do face real-life challenges, they already have experience thinking through outcomes and making decisions.  Imaginative play has also been shown to build confidence, increase empathy, and, when done with other children, improve communication skills.  It is rare that children get to feel “in-charge” of anything, so allowing them opportunities to be in control of their imaginary world affords them a sense of self-determination that they don’t get elsewhere.

 

Sensory Play

As the name suggests, sensory play engages the senses - especially the sense of touch.  Working with different materials, experiencing different textures, and feeling how different substances can be manipulated are all part of sensory play.  At first glance, this type of play may seem to have little to do with a child’s emotional growth - after all, sensory play does not involve rehearsing conflict-resolution or practicing communication.  However, research shows that sensory play helps regulate the nervous system by lowering cortisol, the body’s stress hormone.  A brain that is continuously flooded with cortisol is unable to think rationally through challenging situations because it is constantly in fight-or-flight mode. In this way, according to UNICEF, “play protects children from the negative impacts of prolonged stress.”  It allows them to blow off steam and calm themselves down, so that their brains can reset and begin thinking clearly again.  When learned young, these coping skills can be carried with them into the rest of their life.

 

Physical Play

Physical play gets kids moving!  Whether through an organized sport or game, or just rough-housing, these types of activities help children release energy and reduce stress.  They also provide an outlet for pent-up emotions, allowing them to be diffused in a safe space and preventing later outbursts.  Additionally, active games can help children practice impulse control and handling disappointment. All of these skills can be transferred to stressful situations elsewhere in life as the child grows up.

 

Outdoor Play

Here at Mountain Roots, we place a special emphasis on playing outdoors.  The beauty of outdoor play is that it provides all the benefits mentioned above, PLUS the additional advantages that nature offers. Just being outside alleviates symptoms of anxiety, depression, ADHD, and trauma.  Added to that, nature gives options for movement and activities that are not usually available indoors, such as running, jumping, throwing, and making loud noises.  Children who have opportunities to play outside demonstrate better focus and attention in other areas of life.  Not to mention all the sensory experiences nature provides - think of all the textures, sounds, and smells a child gets to experience while playing outdoors that they would not have access to in an indoor environment.  In short, nature compounds all the positive benefits that play already provides.

 

The research is clear: if we want our children to grow into resilient, well-adjusted adults, the best strategy is to let them play.  At Mountain Roots, we do our part by providing plenty of opportunities for unstructured exploration alongside our more structured content.  We believe this combination provides unique benefits that serve the whole child as they are growing and learning to make sense of the world.

 

References:

 

Building Emotional Regulation Skills Through Play and Connection by Dr. Layne Raskin, Everyday Parenting

 

Exploring Emotional Regulation Through Play: A Guide for Parents and Therapists, Kids in Motion Pediatric Therapy and Wellness

 

Exploring Nature: The Benefits of Outdoor Play for Kids, Community Choice Pediatrics

 

How Play Strengthens Your Child’s Mental Health, UNICEF

 

How Play Supports Cognitive, Emotional, and Social Development in Children, Whole Child Neuro

 

Power of Play in Early Childhood, American Academy of Pediatrics

 

Prefrontal Cortex, Cleveland Clinic