Basic right
“Every child has the right to rest, relax, play and to take part in cultural and creative activities.” This is one of the rights stated in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. According to UNICEF, kids who play on a regular basis with their parents are less likely to develop sleep problems, depression, aggression, and anxiety. The power of play is recognised worldwide and goes way beyond developing early skills: it also plays a key role in your child’s mental health.
Playing as a stress relieve
One of the reasons why playing together is a great way to relieve stress, is because when you are having fun and enjoying yourself, your body releases endorphins. These hormones are known to battle stress and give you a feeling of well-being. Playing with parents and other children also gives kids a chance to talk to others or express themselves how they feel. It’s a time to unwind. Playful people have better stress comping mechanisms and tend to be less stressed.
Playing is also a great way to take your child’s mind off their worries. It gives your little one something else to focus on and stimulates creative thinking. Children can redirect their stress to the toy. Experts promote free play as one of the best forms of play. Free play or unstructured playtime can help children deal with difficult emotions or situations. Children often don’t have the words to express themselves fully yet, and by playing or recreating situations, they learn how to understand, respond, and deal with them in the future. This works soothing.
Can toys help?
Toys can be a handy tool for toddlers to redirect their anxiety and stress. Stress and anxiety usually cause an excess of bottled-up energy. Toys that stimulate movement and have tactile features can help to channel that energy into. This distracts your little one’s brain, lowering anxiety. So yes, toys can be of help!
For example, if you are looking for SmartMax toys that encourage movement, try the Click & Roll set. Children can distract themselves by repeatedly putting balls in a ball run and catching it when coming out. The set offers distraction, as they would need to focus on the ball. A sensory set, with a lot of tactile features and different sounds, is My First Sounds & Senses. The Roboflex set has a lot of elements with fidgety features. It contains propellers to spin around, flexible bars that can be pulled out and pushed back together, wheels to roll, … and the set stimulates free play.
How do you help relieve your mini-me’s stress levels? Let us know via @smartmaxsocial !
More information and sources:
Keleher, Emily, (1 December 2020). The Best Stress-Relief Toys for Helping Kids Process Their Feelings. Fatherly. https://www.fatherly.com/gear/best-stress-relief-toys
Schuman, Corinne, (15 June 2022). Signs and Symptoms of Stress in Kids. Parents. https://www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/development/fear/is-your-toddler-stressed/
UNICEF, (2023). How play strengthens your child’s mental health. UNICEF Parenting. https://www.unicef.org/parenting/child-development/how-play-strengthens-your-childs-mental-health
Children’s Museum Team, (28 August 2020). The Value of Play to Reduce Stress in Children. Cmosc.org. https://www.cmosc.org/playtime-reduces-stress-in-children/
Voice of play (4 November 2016). How Playtime Reduces Stress. Voice of Play. https://voiceofplay.org/blog/2016/11/04/playtime-reduces-stress/
Vrban, Hihaela (2023). 7 ways play reduces stress at toddlers and older kids. Best Toys4Toddlers. https://besttoys4toddlers.com/7-ways-play-reduces-stress/
