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Games
Playing games activates a child’s brain, in particular the mammalian, lower brain which contains a “seeking” system. When seeking is activated in mammals they explore and investigate their environment with curiosity and motivation. In humans, the SEEKING system can activate an appetite for life, energy to explore the new and an eagerness to seek out whatever the world has to offer. When the seeking system is working in a well coordinated way with the frontal lobes/upper brain, dopamine gets released, the motivation chemical, which enables us to sustain motivation and sense of purpose and helps us attain our goals. (Margot Sunderland).
In human infants and toddlers the seeking system must be activated by stimulation, if not low levels of arousal will follow your child into adulthood, and result in low levels of energy, drive, and a sense of “is that all there is?” The same system that enables a child to build and create dens and sandcastles is the one that enables the adult to turn a dream into a successful business accomplishment.
This seeking system in our brain is like a muscle, the more you use it the more curious and creative you become. Providing an enriched learning and play environment for a child helps them develop in numerous ways: self confidence, increased stress adaption, improved social skills, more brain cells in the memory and learning regions.
Sutherland (2006) states ‘The benefits of creative play are many. Research with both humans and other mammals demonstrates that play can lower stress chemicals, enabling us to deal better with stressful situations.’
Research also hints that play actually appears to make children smarter.
Sunderland (2006) In one fascinating study, rats were given an enriched environment with ‘climbing tubes, novel food and lots of social interaction’. Two months later, the rats had an extra 50,000 brain cells in each side of the hippocampus (one of the key memory centres of the brain).
Look today at the opportunities for creative play in your playground and school.
Key ideas:
Provide a:
• Imaginative play area
• Dressing up box
• Tea set
• Small world play equipment
• Sandpit and water play
• Games area
For older children the seeking system can be developed through playing games and imaginative play/drama, outdoor adventures etc. Look at the Forest schools Website – which has some great ideas. http://www.forestschools.com/
Watch this space more to come..... |
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