(Picture courtesy of Little Monsters)
Development through play: The role of indoor soft play areas
From an early age, children have a desire to engage in play. This can be physical play, play with rules, play with objects, or even pretend play(1). This range of play types can have differing influences on aspects of a child’s development, including the development of motor skills, spatial skills, and social and emotional skills, to name a few(1).
Due to the importance of play, it becomes equally important that children have an environment providing both the freedom and safety to explore all types of play. This article will focus on how soft play areas are well-positioned to encourage different types of play and as such positively stimulate a child’s development. As different areas of development are not limited to one particular type of play, each play type is presented with the skills they are most likely to promote development in.
Physical play
A huge advantage of indoor soft play areas is that they are never disrupted by bad weather, making them a great compliment to outdoor play. In a society where screen time is increasing, having this outlet for a child to burn off their energy has never seemed more important. Encouraging engagement in physical activity has the potential to benefit children on a physical (i.e. reduced risk of obesity(2)), psychological (i.e. improved mental health(3)), and social (i.e. improved peer relationships(4)) level.
Attendance to a soft play area has the potential to support children to participate in sufficient levels of physical activity, with many children achieving the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity in a single visit(5). This is helped by the number of different play options available at a soft play area, as each additional play option is associated with an increase in time spent being physically active(6).
Play with rules
Through various obstacles and levels, the layout and design of an indoor soft play area is an excellent environment for children to either create their own, or play well-known games with rules, such as hide and seek, or chasing games like freeze tag. The social nature and freedom of soft play provides the opportunity for children to establish and agree the game’s rules amongst themselves, without parental involvement. This not only helps to develop their understanding of rules, but also teaches them a range of social skills, including taking turns, sharing, and understanding other children’s perspectives(7).
Play with objects
From a ball pit to building blocks, soft play areas offer numerous opportunities for children to engage in play with objects. Playing with objects like building blocks helps to develop spatial skills, as children gain an early understanding of the importance of planning, be this striving to build the tallest block tower, or even a bridge(8).
Play with objects, rules and physical play alike, all have a pivotal role in developing gross motor skills(1). The activities that children engage in through these types of play (e.g. running, jumping, or throwing), mean that they are developing strength in various muscle groups(9). This is important because gross motor skills are crucial for every day functioning.
Pretend play
Soft play areas are renowned for providing a sensory-rich environment, appealing to touch (through various textured surfaces and objects), hearing (through interactive musical instruments), and most prominently, sight (through bright colours, fun designs and shapes)(10). The possibilities provided by the obstacles and objects within this environment enable children to run wild with their imagination and create endless fantasy play scenarios(11). Take for example, obstacles like a ball swing, which could allow children to pretend they are swinging across a cavern in a recreation of their favourite cartoon on TV.
Creating these exciting scenarios have an influential role on emotional development(1). The safety of the environment encourages children to be more adventurous and explore play options that may be too dangerous to attempt outside in their neighbourhood. This allowance to manipulate the environment based on their imagination, stimulates the development of creativity(12). Add to this that soft play areas are a great place to meet friends or make new ones, then children are also able to share in each other’s imaginative play, promoting social and communication skills.
Conclusion
Soft play areas provide an environment that is safe enough for parents to feel comfortable, yet exciting enough to engage children(13). The large areas of free play and wide variety of play options typical of a soft play area, mean that rain or shine, children have the opportunity to engage in numerous types of unrestricted play. Overall, soft play alongside outdoor play can provide a broad range of opportunities for children to reach their full developmental potential(14).
References
1. Whitebread, D., Neale, D., Jensen, H., Liu, C., Solis, S. L., Hopkins, E., ... & Zosh, J. (2017). The role of play in children's development: a review of the evidence. LEGO Fonden.
2. Janssen, I., & LeBlanc, A. G. (2010). Systematic review of the health benefits of physical activity and fitness in school-aged children and youth. International journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity, 7(1), 40.
3. Soltanian, A. R., Nabipour, I., Akhondzadeh, S., Moeini, B., Bahreini, F., Barati, M., & Faradmal, J. (2011). Association between physical activity and mental health among high-school adolescents in Boushehr province: A population based study. Iranian journal of psychiatry, 6(3), 112.
4. Macdonald-Wallis, K., Jago, R., Page, A. S., Brockman, R., & Thompson, J. L. (2011). School-based friendship networks and children’s physical activity: A spatial analytical approach. Social science & medicine, 73(1), 6-12.
5. Jones, M. A. (2017). Effect of Sex and Body Mass Index on Children’s Physical Activity Intensity during Free Play at an Indoor Soft Play Center: An Exploratory Study. International journal of environmental research and public health, 14(9), 1052.
6. Nielsen, G., Taylor, R., Williams, S., & Mann, J. (2010). Permanent play facilities in school playgrounds as a determinant of children’s activity. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 7(4), 490-496.
7. Hassinger-Das, B., Toub, T. S., Zosh, J. M., Michnick, J., Golinkoff, R., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2017). More than just fun: a place for games in playful learning/Más que diversión: el lugar de los juegos reglados en el aprendizaje lúdico. Infancia y Aprendizaje, 40(2), 191-218.
8. Jirout, J. J., & Newcombe, N. S. (2015). Building blocks for developing spatial skills: Evidence from a large, representative US sample. Psychological science, 26(3), 302-310.
9. Tortella, P., Haga, M., Loras, H., Sigmundsson, H., & Fumagalli, G. (2016). Motor skill development in Italian pre-school children induced by structured activities in a specific playground. PLoS One, 11(7), e0160244.
10. Prendiville, S., & Fearn, M. (2016). Coming alive: finding joy through sensory play. In Creative Psychotherapy (pp. 135-152). Routledge.
11. Maxwell, L. E., Mitchell, M. R., & Evans, G. W. (2008). Effects of play equipment and loose parts on preschool children's outdoor play behavior: An observational study and design intervention. Children Youth and Environments, 18(2), 36-63.
12. Hussein, H. (2017). Sensory affordances in outdoor play environment towards well-being of special schooled children. Intelligent Buildings International, 9(3), 148-163.
13. McKendrick, J. H., Bradford, M. G., & Fielder, A. V. (2000). Kid customer? Commercialization of playspace and the commodification of childhood. Childhood, 7(3), 295-314.
14. Storli, R., & Hansen Sandseter, E. B. (2019). Children's play, well-being and involvement: how children play indoors and outdoors in Norwegian early childhood education and care institutions. International Journal of Play, 8(1), 65-78.