Play is often called a child’s “work” and for good reason. Through play, children explore their world, build relationships, develop skills, and learn to participate in everyday life. Play is one of the most natural and meaningful wats children learn. At Agaya our multidisciplinary team utilizes play intentionally to support engagement, development and functional progress.

A common myth about play and play-based therapy is that it does not help children learn to do the things they need to do or provide therapeutic outcomes. However, that could not be further from the truth. I hope this article can show you why play is an essential component of children’s development and how play-based therapy used intentionally can provide improved functional outcomes.

The Importance of Play in Child Development

Play supports multiple areas of development simultaneously:

• Motor skills: Strength, coordination, balance, and motor planning
• Communication: Turn-taking, joint attention, expressive and receptive language
• Social-emotional skills: Emotional regulation, problem-solving, flexibility, and peer interaction
• Cognition: Attention, memory, sequencing, and cause-and-effect understanding
• Daily life skills: Practicing routines, independence, and adaptability

Because play is motivating and familiar, it allows children to engage in learning naturally, which is especially important for children with anxiety, sensory sensitivities, or difficulties with structured tasks.

Why Play-Based Therapy Can Be Important

Play-based therapy uses play as a therapeutic medium, not just unstructured fun. It allows therapists to:

• Meet children at their developmental level
• Increase engagement and motivation
• Observe functional skills in a natural context
• Support emotional safety and regulation
• Promote generalization of skills across settings

From a pediatric OT perspective, play helps children develop skills needed for daily participation. Similarly, speech therapists may use play to support communication, while psychologists and behavioral therapists may use it to build regulation, flexibility, and social understanding.

The Role of Structure and Function in Play-Based Therapy

A common misunderstanding is that play lacks structure. However, in fact effective play-based therapy utilizes structure, is goal directed and purposeful.

Within our clinic, therapists embed:

• Clear goals within play activities
• Repetition and skill practice
• Tasks that mirror real-life activities
• Visual supports, routines, and predictable sequences
• Graded challenges to build independence

For example, a single activity may target fine motor skills, language, sensory regulation, and social skills simultaneously. Utilizing a play-based modality to encourage engagement as a base allows for an increase in motivation and engagement when focused on task-based modalities as well.

What Research Tells Us About Play-Based Therapy

Research supports that structured, goal-directed play enhances engagement, skill development, and participation:

• Improves social interaction and play skills: Play-based occupational therapy can help children with ASD become more playful and socially engaged (Rautenbach et al., 2024).
• Supports social communication and language development: Guided and parent-mediated play can improve communication, attention, and language skills in young children with autism (Gibson et al., 2021).
• Reduces anxiety and supports emotional engagement: Therapeutic play can lower anxiety and improve behavior and emotional wellbeing in hospitalized children (García‑Iriarte et al., 2021).
• Enhances positive mental health: Play-based interventions can boost positive emotions and mental wellbeing in children with ASD (Francis et al., 2022).

References:

• García‑Iriarte, M. J., Monge‑Matos, N. S., González‑Urbaneja, J. L., & others. (2021). Play therapy as an intervention in hospitalized children: A systematic review. Healthcare (Basel).
• Gibson, J. L., Pritchard, E., & de Lemos, C. (2021). Play‑based interventions to support social and communication development in autistic children aged 2‑8 years: A scoping review. Autism & Developmental Language Impairments, 6.
• Rautenbach, G., Conolly, B., Hoosain, M., Zunza, M., & Plastow, N. (2024). The effect of play‑based occupational therapy on playfulness and social play of children with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools & Early Intervention.
• Francis, G. A., Deniz, E., Torgerson, C. J., & Toseeb, U. (2022). Play‑based interventions for mental health: A systematic review and meta‑analysis focused on children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder and developmental language disorder. Autism & Developmental Language Impairments.

In summary: Play is vital to childhood and a powerful therapeutic tool when used intentionally. When guided by a multidisciplinary team, play-based therapy supports engagement, skill development, and meaningful participation, helping children thrive in everyday life.

By

Sally Jishi / Senior Occupational therapist

AGAYA Healthcare Center