How Can Children Express Emotions Through Play?

Research has found that emotions play an important role in child development. As they grow, children experience increasingly complex emotions. Because children may not be able to understand and express their feelings, adults play an important role in their lives by providing them with the tools to express their emotions effectively. Under the correct guidance of adults, children can effectively express their emotions. Creating spaces for children to play, for example, allows them to express emotions in a tangible way and in a healthy way. So how can children use play to help them learn and process emotions?

1. Learning empathy through play

Playing outside with other kids gives children the opportunity to be exposed to different perspectives from kids their own age. When children notice differences of opinion between themselves and adults, they may attribute it to the age gap, but when they see peers expressing disagreement, they may wonder why people who share similarities with them People will think differently. For example, a child might try to understand why her friend doesn't want to go on the slide. As children grow, they can also begin to understand that other people have different abilities and preferences, and they can develop empathy as they begin to be exposed to different perspectives.

2. Tell absurd stories through play

Imaginative play gives children the opportunity to tell big-picture stories in a healthy way. They can pretend to be pirates looking for treasure, and understand that when they play pretend, they can experience fun adventures without lying. Their fictional stories allow them to take creative control of their lives without having to lie to make them sound interesting.

3. Try to be independent through play

Play provides a controlled environment in which children can practice independence and learn about the consequences of their actions. For example, if a child promises to go on a swing with his friend, but ends up playing the seesaw with someone else, the friend can express how hurt and alone he feels because of the broken promise. A child can also come up with creative solutions to the situation, such as asking his friends to play with him on a seesaw. This can help children form closer friendships and learn that inclusion makes everyone happy.