Social Benefits
Social Benefits
“Play fosters belonging and encourages cooperation.”
Stuart Brown, M.D.
Contemporary American psychiatrist
Many people remember, or have
experienced through their children, the anticipation of playing with friends at
the playground. Kids often look forward
to the opportunity to visit with friends outside of school, meet new people and
play group games they can’t play at home alone.
But there is much more to
these playground interactions than meets the eye. Research has shown that the playground is a
complex social network where kids learn valuable lessons about group
interaction and social norms while gaining important relationship-building
skills.
Group Interaction
Kids have many opportunities
to move in and out of group play while on playgrounds. Solitary play helps kids socially, as it
promotes creativity and alleviates boredom when children devise their own
entertainment. While playing alone, kids
can also learn social cues by observing group interactions without being a part
of them.
When
playing in groups, kids learn social roles and cultural rules, develop
appropriate cooperation skills, and learn a shared system of symbols, including
verbal and body language. When children
develop and test relationships, they learn self-control, compromise and
negotiation skills. Kids also learn
survival skills, independence and acceptable group activities to build on as
they grow up.
Social Playground Equipment
Specific playground equipment can foster social development in kids. Providing space for kids to congregate and
communicate are important keys in helping social interaction on
playgrounds. For example, research has
shown that platforms and decks provide children with places to congregate. Bridges and ramps provide kids with opportunities
to play games. Swings and slides
encourage kids to learn to take turns, and tunnels and roof-covered areas
encourage group games and pretend play.
The
development of social skills plays an important role in a child’s maturation
process. The valuable lessons they learn
on the playground will provide a foundation to grow into socially-adjusted,
well-adapted adults.
“Children at play are not playing about. Their games should be seen as their most serious minded activity.”
Michel de Montaigne
French essayist
1533-1592
Inclusion is a Value for Life
Children also learn
important lessons about their peers when playing on the playground. Making sure playground equipment and
surfacing is accessible for all kids is one way to begin leading kids to the
early adoption of inclusiveness as a life value. Research has shown that children assign value
to those they can play with and those they cannot. Their perception is that those who play are
contributors and those who don't play are not. Therefore, children with
disabilities who are prevented from playing on playgrounds because of non-inclusive
equipment or surfacing are already facing a disadvantage of being perceived by
their peers as having less value than the children who are playing. This "contributor status"
perception unfortunately often carries on through life. Working to make playgrounds accessible to all
is one way to make sure all children develop social skills and achieve critical
peer status on equal ground.