How Does Free Play Build Skills - Negotiation, Planning and Cooperation?

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In an age where parents and caregivers often schedule children’s playtime to such an extent that it is often impossible to allow children to choose their own activities, it goes without saying that free play can often take a backseat. Free play, however, is vital for children’s optimal cognitive, emotional and social development and plays an important role in the development of crucial skills such as negotiation, planning and cooperation.

What is Free Play?

Before examining how free play helps children build skills such as negotiation, planning and cooperation, it is important to understand exactly what free play is. Free play can be defined as “activity for children in which they can create, explore and use their own choice of materials, activities and interactions with others” (Anderson, Broberg & Gheorghiu, 2016). Examples of free play include playing outdoors in nature, with toys, lego, building blocks, inventing games or playing in pretend worlds. Promoting Negotiation and Cooperation When engaging in free play, children must negotiate and cooperate with others and draw upon their own desires (including their sensory, physical, intellectual and social needs) in order to reach a successful outcome (Buscher & Gebel, 2017).

Practical Tips for Negotiation and Cooperation

1. Model positive negotiation: modelling is one of the most powerful tools parents have when encouraging healthy negotiation and cooperation. Showing children how to take turns, compromise and work together can be very beneficial in helping them learn important skills such as negotiation and cooperation.

2. Provide the opportunity to practice: a great way to help children learn and build their negotiation and cooperation skills is to provide them with plenty of playtime opportunities to practice. Sandwiching negotiation in between mutually enjoyable activities is a great way to help children learn how to negotiate in an environment where there is less pressure or conflict.

3. Encourage imaginative play: imaginative play allows children to create and use their own resources and to explore different strategies for negotiation and cooperation. This sort of play encourages problem-solving skills, necessary for negotiation and cooperation.

4. Include collaborative play: cooperative or collaborative play is a great way to practice negotiation and cooperation. This type of play teaches children how to work as a team and how to compromise, share, and take turns.

5. Encourage cooperation: when children are playing with other peers, it can be a great opportunity to encourage them to cooperate and take turns. This sort of play can help children to learn the dynamics of negotiation and cooperation and better understand how to interact with others successfully.

Parental Role in Developing Negotiation, Planning and Cooperation

In order for children to successfully negotiate, plan and cooperate, they need parents and caregivers to model good communication and positive relationships. This includes demonstrating healthy problem-solving skills, using appropriate language, displaying patience and understanding, and most importantly, regulating their own emotions.

Parental “emotional regulation” or “emotional competence” has been shown to positively impact children’s negotiation, planning and cooperation skills (Fava et al., 2016). When parents are able to manage their own emotions, children learn how to better manage theirs-creating a positive environment where negotiation, planning and cooperation can flourish. An important way to do this is by creating a secure environment in which children can explore and experiment without worrying about failing.

Free play plays an important role in the development of important skills such as negotiation, planning and cooperation. Practical tips such as modelling, providing the opportunity to practice, encouraging imaginative play, including collaborative play and encouraging cooperation are all essential strategies parents and caregivers can use to help develop and strengthen these skills. Parents and caregivers must also provide a secure environment in which children can explore and experiment without fear of failing.

No matter the age of your child, fostering an environment of open and honest communication and positive relationships are important to ensure children feel like their views and feelings are respected and encouraged-allowing them to practice and perfect skills such as negotiation, planning and cooperation.

Author: Stephanie Mace, Brodi Killen and Samantha Pearce. Educational and Developmental Psychologist - With You Allied Health Directors

References

Anderson, L. H. & Broberg, A. G., & Gheorghiu, A. (2016). ‘ Childhood free play: A literature of related concepts and theoretical perspectives’. Early Child Development and Care, 1-12.

Buschmann, P. & Gebel, A. (2017). ‘It's Mine and We Play Together: Children’s Appeal for Joint Ownership Furthers Cooperation and Joint Use in Child-Parent Interactions’. Cognitive Development, 42, 69-80.

Fava, E. Weller, J. & Guare, J. (2016). ‘Exploring the Development of Negotiation Skills In Young Children’. Early Childhood Education Journal, 44(2), 165–175.