The importance of play
One of the essential aspects of a child's development is the development of play. Mildred Parten (1932) researched the typical stages of social play in children aged two to five. She found an association between the social skills a child displays as a reflection of the way they play. Parten outlined six stages: unoccupied play, solitary play, onlooker play, parallel play, associative play and cooperative play. A child moves from sitting still and exploring their immediate surroundings to playing by themselves without the need for other children. After that, they start to observe other children around them and move into a stage where they play next to one another but not necessarily engage in play together. Following this, children start to become more interested in others, and play develops into turn-taking, sharing and more cooperative efforts between children. The importance of play on child development has been well documented as having benefits for developing social skills, imagination and creativity. So, if play is so essential, how can we ensure that it continues to feature in children's lives?
Danae Gingell
The impact of performing arts
The world of performing arts includes acting, singing, dance, opera, theatre, magic and illusion, public speaking and recitation, to name a few. The performing arts platform plays a very significant role in the development of creative skills as well as teaching communication skills and helping children learn to perform with confidence. By providing a space where children can express themselves in a way which highlights their talents, the performing arts arena is full of opportunities to continue enhancing and developing those fundamental play skills.
Creativity and imagination are absolutely essential in a child's life - the ability to build a complex structure with blocks or designing an elaborate fort to hide from mum and dad requires a good dose of imagination and creativity. Performing arts teach and encourage children how to think differently. The ability to come up with original concepts are essential skills for storytelling, essay-writing, project ideas and eventually, innovative business ideas.
Performing arts also help with the development of communication skills by exposing children to new vocabulary, by teaching them about social cues like waiting for their turn to talk and emphasising the importance of voice projection and clarity of speech. Communication is also the ability to use non-verbal skills and the world of dance, music and acting all allow a child to express him or herself without the use of words.
Being part of the performing arts world means joining in with other children who follow the same principles and together, a safe space can be created to provide a secure base for those who need it. There is a spirit of camaraderie, integrity, coordination and unity when children join together for a performance. There is also evidence to suggest that the performing arts contribute to the development of memory skills - learning scripts, following musical pieces and remembering dance choreographies requires sustained mental effort and good memory skills; both integral to successful child development.
Emotional development starts as soon as a child is born and children are encouraged to express themselves all the time. Still, often they may find themselves unable to verbalise what they feel because they can't find the words. The performing arts is centred around emotional expression: in the way a dance piece is performed or in the highs and lows of a musical accompaniment. The act of performing one of these arts also allows a child to express his or her emotions constructively, without judgement.
As children grow, they may also succumb to difficulties with self-esteem, self-image and confidence. The performing arts allow children opportunities to get in touch with who they are, what makes them who they are and helps them find the best ways to express who they are.
Goldstein and Therrien (2019) have discussed the emerging, though limited research, which looks at the importance and effectiveness of performing arts (specifically theatre-based activities) to teach skills like emotion recognition and expression, eye contact, conversation skills, listening and non-verbal behaviours and gestures in individuals with autism spectrum conditions and other developmental disabilities. These children and youths are provided with opportunities to make mistakes, form meaningful relationships and develop practical communication skills to transfer to daily life. One of the primary challenges associated with autism is the difficulty of understanding and conveying emotional expression in others. Acting involves taking on the role of someone else and mimicking how they might feel and think. It also provides a space which is structured and organised, which creates a safe space. In light of the existing literature highlighting the benefits of the performing arts on the development of children, it is clear that this platform is full of opportunities for children to develop and enhance skills in many different areas. If parents and caregivers are interested in helping their children pursue skills in these areas, performing arts may well be an option to consider.