{"id":4330,"date":"2020-03-27T13:33:36","date_gmt":"2020-03-27T17:33:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.playworks.org\/new-england\/?p=4330"},"modified":"2025-02-21T12:57:32","modified_gmt":"2025-02-21T17:57:32","slug":"power-of-play-practicing-skills-through-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.playworks.org\/new-england\/2020\/03\/27\/power-of-play-practicing-skills-through-games\/","title":{"rendered":"Power of Play:\u00a0Practicing Skills through Games"},"content":{"rendered":"

About Playworks<\/b><\/h3>\n

Playworks is a nonprofit that serves 3.5 million students in 7,000 schools nationwide by providing services that instill the power of play in schools. Playworks’ vision is to make sure every child gets to play, every day. We do this by introducing students to safe and engaging games during recess and classroom game time that reinforce valuable interpersonal skills, leadership skills, and more.<\/span><\/p>\n

Play and Skill Development\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

Through play, kids are able to build their sense of identity and self-esteem in school as well as gain helpful strategies for navigating peer conflict, solving problems, fostering relationships, and managing their own emotions. Playworks recognizes play as a basic human need and supports its partners in introducing and sustaining a culture of play in their school community.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

In the Home<\/b><\/h3>\n

In these difficult and uncertain times, play takes on a whole new level of importance as kids are experiencing changes in their own lives. All kids can benefit from support with managing the complex and rapidly changing emotions they feel on a day to day basis. Sometimes the most powerful instances of disappointment, stress, or frustration happen outside of school, in our own homes and communities.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are situations that can frustrate us, disappoint us, or even make us mad but how do kids learn to deal with these things? We encounter challenges every day, both big and small, and we often react to them without even thinking about it. This is a skill that we call self-regulation,\u00a0 <\/b>which is the act of managing disruptive emotions and responding with appropriate actions.\"\"<\/span><\/p>\n

For example:<\/b><\/h3>\n

You see your bus picking people up but as you run to catch it, it pulls away leaving you behind.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You\u2019re in line at a cafe and want to treat yourself with a muffin, but someone just ahead of you gets the last one before you get a chance to buy it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You make plans with a friend, and after you take time getting ready they call and cancel the plans at the last minute.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At Playworks, our dedicated coaches work hard to help students develop healthy coping mechanisms to help avoid conflicts at recess, often teaching these skills through play.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Maze Game<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u201cThe Maze Game\u201d<\/a> <\/span>is a great example of a game that helps kids practice self-regulation.<\/p>\n