Why Do Kids Play?

by Anne Munier

Kids doing what kids do best!

Children are playful creatures. This holds true all over the world- whether that’s playing 4-square in the schoolyard, engaging in some shadow tag if you happen to be in Ireland, or maybe partaking in a bit of luksong-baka if you’re in the Philippines (it translates to “jump over the cow”, but don’t worry, no real cows are involved!). Even back in the Middle Ages kids made toys out of wood or stones, and long before then, pre-historic toddlers finger-painted on cave walls. No matter where kids are, a day well spent is a day full of fun.

Twig figurines from the American South-West. Toys have been popular for a long time.

And it’s not just human kids -- lots of animals, especially mammals, grow up playing. Think of otters gliding down mud slides on their bellies, puppies wrestling with sticks, baby goats galloping all over each other and head butting anything in sight- they are clearly having fun! The most play-loving of all may be our closest relatives the chimpanzees and bonobos, who laugh, tickle, wrestle, play with dolls (well, with sticks that they treat like dolls, so I’d say that counts), and spend most of their childhood, well, having fun.

All this to say -- playing is genetically ingrained in humans. Kids have evolved to play.

Humans are in good company when it comes to enjoying some good playtime.

But why?? Generally we evolve attributes that help us to survive, be healthy, and have babies. But for most of our evolutionary history we were hunters and gatherers, and playing could have some serious drawbacks. For instance, play:

-Burns lots of energy, so kids need to eat more food (that can be expensive when you’re foraging and hunting every day for survival)

-Is risky -- have you ever known a kid to get hurt or lost when they’re clambering over rocks or climbing trees or exploring new areas?

-Can be loud, which would have attracted the attention of hungry predators.

Having fun? No, these kids are honing their critical thinking skills and coming up with solutions.

None of this sounds like an evolutionarily good idea! But scientists assure us that the benefits of play far outweigh the downsides, by helping kids to:

-Learn skills- children’s games often mimic adult activities, such as playing with toy tools, caring for stuffies, or building sand castles. Play allows for years of practice before taking on real life responsibilities (of renovating buildings, parenting, or designing houses for example). It also gives kids a chance to figure out what they love doing.

-Be strong! All that running around and climbing and wresting and jumping is great exercise.

-Think critically- learn how to analyze situations, come up with solutions, and then evaluate. Think of playing Capture the Flag: your team decides who does what, and how to react to certain situations (like the other team getting too close to your flag). Then you try it out, and chat about how it all went down afterwards. Critical thinking at its finest!

-Communicate, form friendships, develop confidence, and generally get along with others. Social animals (like humans, apes, or wolves) tend to spend more time playing than other species.

-Come up with solutions to life’s problems while having fun! Which, it turns out, is a far better way to learn than when you’re stressed out and running from a charging predator, say. One study observed a group of chimpanzees who all wanted some bananas that were out of reach. Which one figured out how to manoeuver them down with sticks? The one who had had the opportunity to play with sticks beforehand, learning how to manipulate them!

Science backs all this up. Bear cubs that play the most are the most likely to survive the winter. Playful yellow bellied marmots are most likely to have high status as adults. Girls in Botswana who play at pounding grain when they’re young become better grain-pounders (a very challenging job) when older. And children who play more as kids tend to become adults who are good at making friends and adapting to life’s changes.

Keep playing little bear!

The bigger problem today is that kids seem to have *less* playtime than ever before. There may be lots more organized activities in kids’ lives (sports teams, music lessons, tutoring sessions, what have you), but having time to play whatever they want - not so much. Scientists are learning that this is not good for the physical and mental health of children *or* the adults they become.

So, the next time anyone tells you that you’re wasting time playing around rather than doing something serious with your time, you can let them know that millions of years of evolution aren’t wrong. That play *is* serious business, and one of the most important things you can spend your precious time on!