Play and Trauma in Young Children during a Pandemic

ABSTRACT

Vygotsky (1978) describes play as having three main components, one being the ability for a child to create an imaginary situation, the second taking on and acting out roles, and the third, following a set of rules that were determined by the roles children took on during play during social or group settings. Hence, supporting much needed social skills and processes that foster a positive social development. The ambiguities of play, specifically the intricate functions between what play entails and the aligned developmental outcomes of play, makes defining play challenging. Research has revealed that children who are in isolated environments, with reduced physical contact among peers of their own age, tend to have lower levels of academic achievements, and are more susceptible to long term psychological stress as they get older (Ammermueller, 2012, Lacey, Kumari & Bartley, 2014). Specifically, the trauma of isolation affects both the social and cognitive domains of development among preschoolers. Isolation, also takes a toll on the type of play children can engage in. The lack of play during a pandemic can prevent children from feeling a sense of joy and familiarity. This article describes how play is not just a mechanism for supporting academic achievement in young children, but also a form of supporting emotional survival during a crisis.