According to the theory proposed by Piaget the ways in which children play evolve alongside their personaldevelopment
Lillard, 2017
Play acts as the building blocks for cognitive growth as it creates opportunities to build problem-solving and creativity skills
Stagnitti et al, 2016
compared children enrolled in play-based school with children enrolled in traditional schools and found that the students at the play based school had improvedlanguage skills therefore suggesting that the play was key in the development of these skills and key for their cognitive development
ashiabi, 2017 ; russ & fiorelli, 2010
research found relationships between imaginative play and later cognitive performance along with heightened imaginativeness and learning skills
Rose-Krasnor, 2009
Through play children learn important social skills such as cooperation and communication
Brown and Vaughn, 2009
studies have shown that children who engage in playing with others have better social skills and stronger friendships than those who engage in solo play
pellis & pellis, 2007
research has found that play stimulates the release of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and oxytocin which enhance neural connectivity and promote neuroplasticity which influences cognitive, social and emotional development
gray, 2011
This hyperfocus on the idea of play leads to other factors such as genetic predisposition and environmental influences being neglected
