That the game has a very positive influence on the correct development of children is something that nothing and nobody questions, but something that can be overlooked is the importance of the game in the language of our children.
From an early age, children use their games to increase their abilities, not only cognitive, but linguistic, motor and social. That is to say, the game is a tool for the global development of the child.
Therefore, and because His Majesties, the Magi from the East, are about to arrive at our homes, we will see today what relationship exists between play and language, and what can be done to encourage it.
Game features
We have to keep in mind that when our children find themselves playing something, failures or mistakes are not so serious as they could be in any other circumstance of daily life (it is not the same not to pronounce some words well while playing that not to do it in school).
In the same way, the purpose of the game is changing according to how it develops; our little one will modify the final objective of his game to adapt to the means he has to play with; Don't we have coins to play the market and buy these fruits? Nothing happens: we play to collect the fruits from the garden!
This facility to adapt makes us see how they give free rein to their fantasy, and this is very important since otherwise it is not difficult to check as if they can not change the game according to their needs and concerns, children quickly get bored with that activity .
Finally, something obvious is that the game is fun, even when there are difficulties that make it a bit more complicated to reach the goal. But it is also true that, without these obstacles, the child would not find what he is doing attractive, and would stop doing it right away.
How to "use" the game
It has been said many times that during the first years of life the game must be free and spontaneous arising from its own initiative, not directed by the adult.
However, it happens many times that, although the game is spontaneous, parents play with our children to achieve some goal we have in mind (to pronounce words, increase vocabulary ...)
But be careful, since this does not mean that the child should play alone; We have already marked on more than one occasion the multiple benefits that parents play with their children. Mind you: without overwhelming them.
Likewise, the fact that the little ones play with other children of similar ages has an important role in the development of our child, since it prepares them to be able to face the different social situations that they will encounter throughout their lives.
Game and language
The most important thing that can be said in relation to the game and language is that the mother tongue is learned more quickly in a game situation. Also, interestingly, more complex ways of speaking appear first during the game than in everyday situations.
It would not be the first time we heard young children say "if you behave well and obey me, I give you a piece of cake" or a phrase of similar structure. However, how much time passes until he says something similar in his day to day?
Without a doubt, the game has something magical that makes the acquisition and development of language stimulated in children. On the other hand, striving to make our child speak perfectly can make this process that occurs during the game not appear as often as it should…
If we talk about babies, we can see how adults and older children talk to them in a very peculiar and very playful way (the so-called baby-talk), and we realize then that what makes a child develop his language are the opportunities he has to play with the language.
Conclusion
After all this, it seems clear to state that playing is not just a children's thing. The game is the basis on which several motor, cognitive, linguistic and social skills are sustained.
Allowing them to play freely (which is not the same as playing alone), without stress and adapting to their infinite creativity and imagination, will contribute to the proper development of the different aspects of their lives.
And especially, highlight the importance of the game in the language of our children, since we live in a society where language is the vehicle of communication par excellence (although not the only one).
