The Important Function of Play

At S.E.E.D.S. we stand by the belief that learning and play are natural for all children.  Play is nature’s way for all children to develop their neural pathways, knowledge, skills, feelings, emotional maturity and social behavior.  To further discuss this topic we will focus on research conducted by Jaak Panksepp. He studied animal behavior as a means to understand human behavior.  His many years of research led him to summarize “Primal Emotions” to their “Affective Feelings.”  Of the 7 primal emotions (e.g. seeking, rage, fear, lust, care, panic and play), we want to focus on play and its affective feeling of joy.

First we must ask ourselves what brings about joy? Why is play such a huge part of that? When we think about play and joy we feel happy. If you stop and think these few sentences alone are filled with “feelings”. Feelings are intangible and outside of the realm of academic curricula. When we focus on feelings and emotional maturity we talk about the pro-social brain. Building a pro-social brain means de-emphasizing traditional concept of “academics” and focusing on social emotional development. Children that grow up in a robust and nurturing environment will naturally develop the skills and curiosity to explore the typical “academic” concepts like language arts and mathematics. Yet, when children do not have the ability to fully integrate and participate as social beings, they tend to have a more limited interest in academics. Human beings are naturally social. Yet, all too often we put the academic brain to the forefront of education rather than the pro-social brain. Maybe we forget that without socializing we cannot educate others.

Our experience in teaching tends to show that students are more receptive to learning activities when they are secure/comfortable, interested in the lesson/activity, and are having fun.  Panksepp tells us that play brings joyous feelings.  So interactive lessons that are playful and engaging create conditions where students are interested in the topic. This allows the child to use their intrinsic curiosity as the motivation to learn through their feelings of joy. They choose to learn because they see the activity as fun and engaging, which results in deep learning of the content.  Topics that are relevant to a child’s interests and pique their curiosity will keep them from encountering the quicksand of boredom. Instead, they will develop their critical thinking skills and utilize their curiosity to learn more than most people would think or expect. Learning for children is a very innate process. Most children naturally engage their curiosity. When top down learning begins to take place, children tend to disengage, which kills their curiosity and limits their learning potential. If you really want to teach a child, have them teach you something from their point of view. Once you do this the learning will become mutual and multidimensional, which is what fuels curiosity and deep learning. This is the benefit of the social brain through student centered learning and social interaction.