By Dr. Leung Chung Ming, Clinical Psychologist
On a scorching summer day, the temperature soared.
A chubby boy in a yellow Pikachu vest, biting into an ice lolly, asked the little girl beside him, “Where are you going after art class?” The girl adjusted her glasses and replied, “First to ballet school, then flute practice at three, and chess class in the evening. What about you?” The chubby boy thought for a moment and said, “I have leadership training, and a tennis coach session in the evening. There’s a competition in September.” “Oh, my nanny is here. See you next time!” “Bye!”
In Hong Kong, a society driven by a knowledge-based economy, the focus of educating children often revolves around intellectual training. In this highly competitive environment, parents inevitably hope to seize every moment, providing their children with more training opportunities to prepare them well for future societal entry. As a result, even games are often linked to educational benefits. Whether it’s board games, tabletop games, video games, or various interest classes, they usually emphasize what benefits the game can bring to children. Some claim to enhance knowledge, others to improve logical reasoning skills, or to boost creativity, and even promote social skills. Parents are often concerned that, regardless of the type of game, it should ideally be educational and beneficial for developing their child’s brain potential. Even the simplest block-building games might need to highlight how they can purposefully enhance a certain ability in children to fit the definition of educational games.
Thus, day after day of the summer holidays pass, and Hong Kong children spend their holidays in educational and meaningful ways. However, childhood silently slips away in these busy yet fulfilling days.
But is this really the essence of games? Or what exactly are games?
Perhaps there was once a time when children ran freely in the park, kicking a football and sweating. Or holding a paintbrush and doodling on white paper, drawing whatever their heart desired. Even a pencil and an eraser on the table could stage a “Superhero vs. Monster” drama. Childhood, without too many classes or continuous training and competitions, was filled with boundless creativity and dreams. Back then, children didn’t play for learning, nor for future prospects, achievements, or skill development. They played purely for the joy of playing.
Games are an innate ability and the natural language of children. Scholars agree that play is a spontaneous, child-led, self-entertaining activity. For children aged 0-7, play aids brain development (Byres, 1998). Through play, children can grow, self-actualize, and express themselves. Play also helps children learn to regulate emotions, allowing them to express stress, anxiety, and anger. Additionally, play can strengthen children’s connections with others, stimulate creativity, boost self-confidence, and build self-identity (Landreth, 2002; Russ, 2004). Clearly, play is crucial for children’s growth, significantly impacting their physical, psychological, and social development.
Given the importance of play, many parents try to schedule “play” time for their children. I’ve heard many parents share about letting their children “play” musical instruments, “play” sports, “play” board games to learn English vocabulary. Aren’t these also forms of play?
Indeed, learning musical instruments, playing sports, etc., are all educational and beneficial activities for children’s development in various areas, and they can certainly be fun. However, it’s worth noting that these “games” often have a specific “correct” way to play. Instruments should be played in a “correct” manner, sports require proper posture and rules. These “games” are regulated, emphasizing following instructions, training, and rules, thus differing from the previously mentioned play. Moreover, these “games” often have underlying purposes. Even if there’s no expectation for children to compete and achieve high scores, there’s at least a hope for them to reach a certain level or develop a skill. Engaging in “play” activities with this mindset is fundamentally different from playing purely for the sake of play.
Because the most original and purest form of play has no right or wrong, doesn’t focus on results, but values the process. As long as children are playing, they can naturally grow and thrive.
With the increasing prevalence of knowledge-based education, kindergarten children have already learned a lot of astronomy, geography, and vocabulary in both Chinese and English. Their extracurricular time is also filled with interest classes and sports training. Consequently, this original and pure playtime is becoming less and less. Scholars have begun to notice that as playtime decreases, children’s mental health is affected. Some studies even suggest that children deprived of playtime tend to be more violent (Hughes, 2003) and more prone to depression (Huttenmoser et al., 1995).
In recent years, a rather “peculiar” phenomenon has emerged in Hong Kong society, namely the popularity of play therapy, especially Child-Centered Play Therapy. Child-Centered Play Therapy is a non-directive or unstructured play therapy that allows children to freely express and play in a safe and positive environment, helping troubled children improve behavior, build confidence, and grow emotionally and psychologically.
Of course, play therapy is different from ordinary play. However, play therapists also rely on systematic theories and various techniques to harness the therapeutic power of play, allowing children to learn to express themselves in a safe, non-judgmental environment. Thus, play therapists are merely catalysts in the therapy, while child-centered play is the true remedy.
Play is an instinct. For thousands of years, it has existed in every childhood memory without needing to be taught. But as we grow, video games, smartphones, tablets, society, culture, academics, work, and rules gradually erode this instinct.
Do you remember the last time you played purely for joy, for the sake of playing? Do you still possess the ability to play? As adults, have we forgotten the true essence of play, becoming adults who don’t know how to play?
If possible, sometimes a child’s childhood doesn’t have to be educational every single moment. Please, don’t deprive children of their right to play.
Reference
Byers, J.A. (1998). The biology of human play. Child Development, 69, 599-600.
Hughes, F. (2003). Sensitivity to the social and cultural contexts of the play of young children, In J. Isenberg & L. Jalongo (Eds.), Major Trends and Issues in early Childhood: Challenges, controversies and insights (pp.126-135). New York: Teachers College Press.
Landreth, G. L. (2002). Play therapy: The art of the relationship. New York, NY: Brunner-Ruttledge.
Russ, S. W. (2004). Play in child development and psychotherapy: Toward empirically supported practice. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.