supports their development? Marion Dowling explains.
Play is so important to optimal child development that for some years it has been recognised by the United Nations Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights as an entitlement for every child1.
Of course, there are many forms of play, so here I will use the definition from a document by the former National Strategies: 'Play is freely chosen by the child, and is under the control of the child. The child decides how to play, how long to sustain the play, what the play is about and who to play with. There are many forms of play, but it is usually highly creative, open-ended and imaginative. It requires the active engagement of the players and can be deeply satisfying.'2
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