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Playing is one of the natural and best ways to keep kids active and healthy. And the best impact of all is how playing produces a positive effect on the children’s mental health. 

Isn’t it nice to see children happily running and playing around without care? Is there anything more beautiful than seeing children smiling and laughing? More importantly, wouldn’t it be wonderful to see children grow into wholesome and healthy adults someday? 

Children learn about the world outside through playing games and recreating imaginary worlds. Playtime produces many good benefits, which are the goals that adults should structure a child’s learning process. 

Dr. Sandra’s book about an introverted child, “nobody,” IS “SOMEBODY,” tells the story of overcoming and winning over shyness to become a “somebody.” Dr. Sandra Birchfield narrates the story of an introverted child named “nobody” who found the courage to join a Spelling Bee and eventually win the contest.

The author’s book theme touches on the importance of wholeheartedly enjoying childhood. Children need to enjoy their youth, and a part of that process is a learning curve that involves education taken from their family, school, or peers, as well as having fun through play. 

How important is a child’s mental health?   

Having excellent mental health does not necessarily mean the absence of negative thoughts or emotions. After all, all kinds of positive or negative feelings are part of an individual’s natural makeup and make us all human. 

A mentally healthy child doesn’t mean that the child is not prone to crying, feeling frightened, sad, anxious, or angry. A child with a healthy mental outlook can acknowledge and feel all the emotions they encounter and has resilience against external and internal stress and feelings that have a terrible effect on them. In other words, having good mental health makes a child cope better with life’s challenges. 

Another distinct outcome of well-developed mental health is that the child will likely be a happy and positive thinkers. They become gentler or kinder to themselves if they do something wrong or don’t get what they want. They quickly learn and adapt, enjoy life, and get along well with their family and friends. 

Why Kids Need to Play

Adults should never underestimate what playtime could do for kids. Aside from having fun, playtime also helps to build the kids’ motor, cognitive, social, and emotional skills. And if parents and families join in, playtime becomes a bonding time. 

There are games geared toward developing a child’s physical health and games designed for mental health. Adults should prepare mental health activities that trigger and stimulate a child’s mental and emotional responses.

Below are some games that can help a child’s mental health development.

Building Games

This is one of those games that kids of all ages (even adults!) would never get tired of playing. A building game is an activity that stimulates a child’s creativity to create stuff out of the blue. Take the Lego, for instance. The Lego building activity has been used as a therapy for individuals with ASD (Autism spectrum disorder) or who have challenges in language or communication. 

One of the benefits of this popular brick-building game is that it instills the value of teamwork or social skills in children. Not just the Lego but any building game could help improve or enhance a child’s problem-solving skills, intuition and creativity, perseverance, confidence, and even patience. 

Puzzles and Board Games

Puzzles and board games never go out in style! Although these games do not cure stress, anxiety, or depression, what they do is that they helped released positive endorphins that improve a person’s mood. The excitement from playing the game is enough to keep the kids on their toes in happy anticipation and helps them become more open and friendly towards other people. 

Another interesting fact about board games is how it impacts the brain’s thought and memory processes. These types of games develop brain retention and cognitive association. 

Treasure Hunt

For a more exciting and fun experience, go for a treasure hunt! Kids love an excellent ol’ searching game where they’re made to find hidden objects. Treasure hunt games help to sharpen children’s navigational skills and teamwork. This game also teaches kids responsibility and enhances their self-esteem. The big upshot of this game is the adrenaline rush and the rewarding experience kids feel when they finally reach their goal and discover their treasure! 

A Brighter Future

Investing in kids’ mental health is perhaps one of the best investments parents and families could ever make. To helps kids become overall healthy adults someday is something that no money in this world could buy. Not only does this benefit the kids themselves, but their family, friends, and society.