IMPORTANCE OF PLAY
Nine-year-old Aarohi (name changed) studies in Class 3 at a school in Renapur in Maharashtra’s Latur district. Her Mother works as a daily wage labourer and also supports the family financially.
In conversation with our Programme Officer(PO), the teacher mentioned that Aarohi enjoys play sessions, but she always plays by herself and does not mingle with her classmates. She likes solving puzzles, and playing games like ‘Match It’ and ‘Animal Pair’, but when it comes to playing in a group, she usually keeps to herself.
When the teacher noticed this, she decided that she would encourage Aarohi to be more friendly and play in groups, as it would help her build essential skills of collaboration and also gauge different perspectives. Her teacher ensured that she was put in a group that was supportive and was playing a construction-based game that would require Aarohi to work with others. She also started conducting group activities to increase her participation.
Through a series of play sessions, Aarohi started becoming comfortable in the classroom environment and slowly developed an interest in group-based games. When playing together, children are not just having fun, but are building skills of communication and collaboration that will benefit them in the long run.
Aarohi’s teacher also mentioned that play sessions not only helped her get better at her schoolwork but also made her more joyful and cheerful.
