Child Psychologists agree; Fantasy play is important to the development of children. Woolley et al. (2004) recently performed a study examining the cues and contexts that convince children of the reality of things not seen, but talked about.

The researchers introduced a new fantasy character called the Candy Witch. They taught the children that the Candy Witch goes to children’s homes, after Halloween, and trades some of the child’s candy for a toy.

The researchers showed a picture of the Candy Witch to the children and asked the parents to follow up by doing the trade for a toy at home, making it appear that the Candy Witch had visited the child. Depending upon the cognitive developmental level of the child, most of the younger children were convinced of the reality of the Candy Witch, especially those who had received a visit from her.

This study illustrates the concept that children use cues and contexts to incorporate new concepts. These imagined concepts can then be processed into belief or understanding. If you ask a 5-year-old certain questions, you can see how he or she uses imagination to explain things that the child cannot yet fully understand.

For example, 5-year-old Mia remarked that the statement that “Julie jumped into the air and never came back down” was not true, not because of gravity, but because, “nobody wants to live in the clouds where they can’t see the sky.” Mia used her imagination to ponder the statement and evaluate it, based on her level of understanding.

Imaginative play is important for the cognitive development of children and should thus be encouraged by parents. Dress up play, pretend cooking, roleplaying, and tea parties are examples of pretend play that can help a child along in his or her development.

It’s all too typical, little Jonah, age 7, attends soccer practice after school, followed by Karate in the studio at 5:30, and has a visit from his violin teacher at 7:00. In between lessons, Jonah is encouraged to practice and hone his many skills. His schedule is full of quality activities, but is it healthy?

According to a recent report by the American Academy of Pediatrics, today’s children are overly structured in their routines. Their findings indicate that this is actually detrimental to the child’s social, emotional, and even cognitive development.

One would think that all of that teaching in such a variety of areas would be great for a child’s development. However, there can be too much of a good thing. Without unstructured play time to imagine, relax, and socialize freely, little Jonah may actually struggle in aspects of his development.

Children who have unstructured playtime as a regular and consistent part of their routine tend to be better at managing stress and are more resilient to the negative influences of life, than children who have a great deal of structure.

The American Academy of Pediatrics states that, “Whereas play protects children's emotional development, a loss of free time in combination with a hurried lifestyle can be a source of stress, anxiety and may even contribute to depression for many children. The report reaffirms that the most valuable and useful character traits that will prepare children for success come not from extracurricular or academic commitments, but from a firm grounding in parental love, role modeling and guidance.”

In other words, play is a child’s work. Play helps prepare a child for healthy and successful adulthood. Adults seeking to advance their children and get them ahead of the curve must acknowledge the fact that relaxation and free time are an important part of ensuring a child’s overall success.

Free play is a specific form of play that children need for their cognitive, emotional, and social development. Unlike structured activities, like coached soccer, teacher-directed play, or games with supervision, free play is child-directed unstructured time.

There are five main types of free play, all of which can be beneficial for a child’s development. And according to research, these forms of free play can contribute to dexterity, self-esteem, social skills, and decision-making ability, among other benefits.

Solitary free play is when a child plays alone, without guidance or direction from someone else. An example is a little boy playing with his cars on a pretend road or a little girl playing with her dolls. An onlooker is a child observing others playing. The onlooker may ask questions or make suggestions but is not actively playing.

Parallel play is when children are playing the same game or activity but without talking or interacting with one another. An example would be children playing in the same play structure without engaging in any sort of dialogue with each other.

Associative play is the next level of play. In associative play, children actually play with each other. They share activities and play materials in an unorganized way. An example would be sandbox play, where children talk and laugh together, playing with the same toys in the sand, but it is not organized play.

Finally, cooperative play is when children actually organize their play. Their play is purposeful and goal directed. For example, building a sandcastle together, or playing baseball. Team games, not coordinated by adults but child-driven, are great examples of cooperative play.