Why Play Matters

“You just play all day”

One of our speech therapists once said her husband liked to joke that she didn’t really work but instead got to play every day. And it’s kind of true! Well, the bit about playing every day is definitely true! Play is embedded in the work that we do as speech pathologists. It is the vehicle we use to deliver treatment. Because it’s fun… and because it is incredibly effective.

Play is important! It’s backed by science. Let’s have a look at why and how we use play in speech therapy.

Play is a POWERHOUSE

Play has been described as “the work of the child”[i] . Play is so important that the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of the Child[ii]  protects play as a right of all children. Play is recognised as being as valuable as education.

Play is fun… and  it’s essential for our well-being and development as humans. Experts say play is fundamental to both physical and mental health.  Experts even encouraged paediatricians to write prescriptions for play!

Play has a profound impact on brain development. Activities that spark curiosity and involve hands-on experiences boost learning. These activities help new ideas and skills to ‘stick’.

Play prepares children for adulthood. It provides opportunities to practice and cultivate the skills they will need to live in a complex world.‍ Skills such as problem solving, collaboration, creativity, and vital executive functioning skills. Executive functions are the mental processes our brain uses to focus, plan, and manage tasks and emotions. They are the skills we need for self-regulation and the process of learning. Play has a direct effect on the development of executive skills.

Children who spend time with caring adults in play are more likely to develop strong language skills, better social and emotional skills, executive functioning, and self-advocacy[iii] . Children who actively play regularly can better think creatively and multitask.

The benefits of play are HUGE!

The Science of Play

“Play is not frivolous; It is brain building.”[iv] 

Did you know that playing and having fun changes your brain chemistry? It helps your brain to adapt and grow.

Play has direct and indirect effects on the structure of the brain and how it functions. When we play or experience joy, key areas of our brain respond and a complex set of processes are set in motion which help the brain grow:

1. Play activates chemicals in our brain that are helpful for learning

Scientists have discovered that engaging in playful activities stimulates key neurotransmitters. These are chemical brain messengers that help create an optimal environment for learning. When we play, these neurotransmitters feature: dopamine, endorphins, acetylcholine and norepinephrine.

Dopamine makes us feel good, and it also enhances motivation and focus. It keeps us engaged. Dopamine is the body’s reward system. It helps us strive, concentrate, and find things interesting. It’s also linked with memory formation. This is all really important when we are acquiring new knowledge and skills. Endorphins reduce our stress responses. These mood enhancers encourage openness to new information and make us more willing to experiment. These neurotransmitters help our brain make new connections.

When we play, our body also releases acetylcholine and norepinephrine.  These are neurotransmitters that play a role in memory, learning and attention (among other things). They help us concentrate. They enhance the brain’s ability to form memories. They facilitate learning and improve brain plasticity. They boost our capacity to process new information, retain it, and apply it to new experiences.

2. Play improves neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to reorganise itself by forming new connections. It’s the brain’s ability to change, adapt, and learn.

Think of plasticine and how it can be shaped and moulded. If plasticine is cold and hard it’s more difficult to form it into new shapes, but when it’s pliable it can be sculpted into just about anything. Similarly, we can rewire the structure of our brain by making it more pliable. Joy and playfulness help our brain become more flexible. The more flexible your brain is, the easier it is to learn.

The brain reorganises itself by forming new synapses. Synapses are the connections between brain cells.  The brain also reorganises itself by pruning connections that aren’t used, and it can also add new brain cells (neurons).

Playing makes it easier to learn by literally changing the architecture of the brain. Amazing!

3. Play strengthens neural pathways

In the same way that physical exercise makes our muscles stronger, playful activities help the pathways in our brain get stronger! This is especially true with physical activities, social activities, and activities that involve complex problem-solving. Playing uses many different areas of the brain. It sends signals between the different areas of the brain. The more we use the brain’s information highways the stronger they become. Games, exploring, interacting with others, and focussing on achieving a fun goal are all exercise for our brain – sometimes without us even knowing it!

Play can also create new neural (brain) pathways. Playing, especially with others, requires flexibility to respond in the moment. This  activates different neural pathways than the ones the brain normally uses for standard task-oriented work. When we’re doing something unpredictable, exploring, switching perspectives and using our imagination, the brain begins to create new connections. So, if you want to rewire the old grey matter, have fun and be creative!

Play is motivating!

Motivation is so important for learning. Scientists have found that how motivated a person is when they’re doing something new, has a significant impact on how fast they learn and how long the new information stays in their brain.

Have you ever noticed how much easier it is to do something you don’t really like, if you can somehow make it fun? Like turning a chore into a game, or dancing while you do it? Perhaps you remember a particular teacher whose classes were more enjoyable? They probably made good use of play in their lessons. Studies have confirmed that bored children do not learn well. Making an exercise fun means we will be more engaged.

Many speech therapy treatments are most effective when the activity is practised regularly. Regular practice really cements a new skill in our brain and body. If the practice task is something the child enjoys doing, they are much more likely to do it over and over. This improves their skills and keeps them on track to reach their goal.

Play also helps us feel more comfortable to try new or difficult tasks. Children and adults are more likely to take risks and participate in activities they are comfortable with. Trying a new skill is less daunting when the stakes are lower and the process is fun.

How we use play in speech therapy

We value play and playfulness here at SPT. It might look like we play all day, but there’s solid science behind every game and fun activity!

Play based therapy involves activities that strategically target specific skills. Each activity works on a goal. Particular games are used intentionally because those games naturally involve doing the thing that the client needs to do to learn and practice a certain skill.

A game might be chosen because to play it you need to use particular types of words or sounds which are repeated throughout the game. For example, an activity using balloons will naturally involve using words like ‘balloon’, ‘blow’, ‘bounce’, which may be helpful for a client needing to practice saying the ‘b’ sound.

Many games build vocabulary, or help with fluency (speaking smoothness), or encourage the use of complex sentences, or boost conversational skills, and so on. Board games and role-playing games are especially helpful for developing social language and communication skills because they require focus, taking turns, speaking and listening to the other players, interpreting social cues, problem-solving, collaboration, and more. (Discover our social skills therapy games groups here).

Games and play can also be used as motivation or rewards in therapy.

We use a child-led approach. This means we let the client’s interests guide the way we deliver treatment and interventions. Guided play doesn’t mean letting the child do whatever they want, but rather we design the activities around their interests to optimise learning. And make it as much engaging fun as we can!

So don’t be surprised if your therapy room has sticky geckos on the ceiling. It’s all part of the serious business of play, brain science and speech therapy!

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[i] Montessori, M. (1912) The Montessori method : scientific pedagogy as applied to child education in “the Children’s Houses” with additions and revisions. New York: Stokes.

[ii] UN Declaration of the Rights of the Child. Principle 7.

[iii] Moreno, M. A. (2016). Supporting child play. JAMA Pediatrics. 170(2):184. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2015.2505

[iv] Yogman M, Garner A, Hutchinson J, et al; (2018)  The Power of Play: A Pediatric Role in Enhancing Development in Young Children. AAP Committee On Psychosocial Aspects Of Child And Family Health, AAP Council On Communications And Media. Pediatrics. 142(3):e20182058.

Other sources:

Henderson TZ, Atencio DJ. (2007) Integration of play, learning, and experience: what museums afford young visitors. Early Child Educ J. 35(3):245–251

Toub TS, Rajan V, Golinkoff R, Hirsh- Pasek K. (2016) Playful learning: a solution to  the play versus learning dichotomy. In: Berch D, Geary D, eds. Evolutionary Perspectives on Education and Child Development. New York, NY: Springer; 117–145