WHY PLAY?

It is well documented that homelessness causes physical, emotional, and developmental harm to children, yet the resources that serve them are shrinking and largely inaccessible. Children are often left to manage the trauma of being homeless on their own. As a result of the traumatic stress associated with homelessness, research has shown that a disproportionate number of children in shelters suffer from emotional, behavioral and learning problems.

These children generally enter school without the basic skills they need to succeed and are often lagging years behind. Recent Harvard Medical School research found that, “almost half of school age homeless children have emotional problems like anxiety and depression. They also experience four times the rate of developmental delays and double the learning disabilities, and they are twice as likely to be suspended from school or repeat a grade as other poor children.”

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children need free play at home and at school. Play is essential for the cognitive, physical, and emotional well-being of children and youth and undirected free play:

1. Allows children to develop imagination and physical, mental, and emotional strength
2. Helps children conquer fears, practice adult roles, and develop confidence
3. Allows children to learn to work with others, share, and self-advocate
4. Builds active, healthy bodies

The traumatizing effect of homelessness on children could be dramatically reduced by the introduction of play programs and other services in the family shelters. In most shelters, children are being routinely denied the developmental opportunities and psychological support necessary for healthy child development. Recreation is severely restricted in the shelter environment and children are routinely denied necessities like soap, toys, books and a space to call their own. Without volunteers to protect a child’s right to play, the playground and playrooms sit empty and locked, the common spaces devoid of anything for children to enjoy.

There are volumes of literature about why play is essential to brain development and learning. As HCPP volunteers, our role is to protect children’s right to learn and heal through play by providing opportunities to enjoy play spaces and equipment that are otherwise restricted in the shelter environment. Providing one-on-one attention to children whose emotional and social needs are often ignored sends them the message that they are important. All children deserve to enjoy the rites of childhood that play and recreation provide.

For more information about the importance of playtime, visit these websites:

Horizons for Homeless Children: www.horizonsforhomelesschildren.org
The National Center on Family Homelessness: www.familyhomelessness.org
Strong National Museum of Play: www.strongmuseum.org
International Play Association: www.ipausa.org
National Child Traumatic Stress Network: www.NCTSNet.org