Play is an integral part of healthy brain development, it allows children to create and explore a world they can master. It is vital for children to maintain a time to play different games, especially with parents, as it creates a strong parent-child bond.

Play is defined as a range of intrinsically motivated activities done for recreational pleasure and enjoyment. It is commonly associated with children, and is enjoyable and spontaneous.

Marie Chantal Umuhoza, a nursery teacher in Huye District, says play as an integral part of a child’s development is the reason every school has ‘break time’, especially nursery schools where children spend most of their time playing.

"Learning through play comes naturally to children, the relevance of play in early years of education is the core of development.  Play-based learning stimulates brain development through various hands-on activities (digital/non-digital), which render freedom to a child to imagine, explore, experience, create and most importantly make errors,” she says.

Umuhoza adds that when parents play with their children at home, it strengthens the parent-child bond, while enabling the child’s brain to develop.

However, experts say even before the Covid-19 pandemic, playtime has greatly declined over the years. This can be tied to tight school schedules, parents away at work, fewer safe places to play, the rise of technology and more screen time as children tend to spend a lot of time watching TV.

According to Fred Hirwa, a Kigali-based paediatrician, explains that children need to develop a variety of skill sets to optimise their development and manage toxic stress. As research demonstrates, developmentally appropriate play with parents and peers is a singular opportunity to promote the social-emotional, cognitive, language, and self-regulation skills that build executive function and a prosocial brain.

"When an activity contains elements of fun, it helps release ‘happy hormones’ or ‘dopamine’ which is associated with learning, memory, and motor system. Play supports the formation of safe, stable, and nurturing relationships with caregivers and educators that children need to thrive,” he says.

Hirwa says that when safe and stable relationships are missing in a child’s life, toxic stress can disrupt the development of executive function and the learning of prosocial behaviour—in the presence of childhood adversity, play becomes even more important.

"The mutual joy and shared communication (harmonious serve and return interactions) that parents and children can experience during play regulate the body’s stress response,” Hirwa adds.

Claudine Umutesi, a mother of three, says that she always equips her children with enough toys and time to play when still pre-schoolers as this develops their curiosity, particularly when it’s time to start school, it becomes easier for them as they are more flexible.

"Young children can develop many skills through the power of play; play helps to nurture imagination and gives a child a sense of adventure. Through play, children learn essential skills such as problem-solving, how to interact with others, and they develop the ability to concentrate,” she says.

However, Hirwa adds that it is more than just a chance to have fun; play is serious when it comes to a child’s health and development. It doesn’t matter what the game is, there are plenty of them, from hide and seek to board games, and it is best to join them as a parent.

He also points out that when parents are involved in their children’s play activities, from infanthood to at least six years of age, they (children) will most likely grow into happy adults.