When we are engaged in meaningful play, we are excited and curious. If we are engaged in play with other people, we are relaxed, engaged, connected and reciprocal. Play benefits all of us throughout our lifetime, because it offers opportunities to learn from our experiences and offers us purposeful problem solving scenarios, which expands our critical thinking. Floreo's immersive virtual reality offers learners of all ages scenarios where they can play to learn as well as learn to play.
The roots of play begin in infancy when we become aware of connecting with others, taking turns, and taking notice of what others are noticing. We learn if we take an action, something will result in that action (cause and effect). You can find those skills targeted in many of the Communicative Eye Gaze lessons such as Watch it Go or Emma Wants to Look Too.
In early childhood, we begin to take the understanding of building relationships and extend those to skills such as sharing and early negotiation (as in Painting with Friends). We learn to create and use our imagination (as is emphasized in Cloud Chronicles: Tales from the Sky). We continue to expand our understanding of turn-taking and getting to know others (as in Magic Mix: Who’s Next?).
Social interaction skills at the school age and teen levels expands on the skills we learn in play. We may play a getting-to-know-you game with our friends (as in Teen Talk: Social Squares). We might take quick conversational turns as we walk past them (as in Populated Small Talk in Motion: low Traffic) or we might need to learn to listen and join into longer conversations (Join a Conversation: Park, Chit-Chat with Myra).
As adults, we engage in play too. We might play chess, tennis, sudoku, or wordle. There is no shortage of party games that have been developed for adults to allow them to relax and interact with friends. Negotiating and problem solving are often inherent in the games we play. Developing negotiation and problem solving skills in low-stress situations such as play, can allow us to access these skills and apply them to practical situations that we encounter during the day, such as negotiating with a co-worker (as in Teamwork: Collaboration & Compromise) or thinking through what to do next when you miss your bus (as in Find Your Bus: Troubleshoot Missed Bus). The more skills we have under our belts, the better the chance we can handle these situations more calmly.
Both play with rules and free play have significant value. Play with rules allows all parties to know what to expect and provides some sense of security for the players. This can be compared to friendly conversations where there is an expectation of turn-taking, relating and an effort to come to a common understanding. Practicing friendly conversations in Conversation Corner with Jordan and Marcie: Park is one way Learners can apply these skills. Free play allows for relaxation and creativity. Learners can explore with something as simple as Play the Marimba and Crystal Cave, or more active and exciting experiences such as Flight With Animals or Lion.
Play benefits us through our lifetime and if we can help our Learners by incorporating play with learning, we increase the value of our time with them.
Floreo's Director of Applied Digital Therapy, Rita Solórzano MA, CCC-SLP, is a Speech Language Pathologist with over 30 years of experience.