The Supreme Importance of Play

By Claudia Novo Castellví, Lady Play at ByBa

Why is play so important?

Because play is not just entertainment.
Play is one of the main ways children understand themselves, others, and the world.
It is a natural, powerful and deeply creative process.

1. Play helps children express and understand emotions

Through play, children:

• Express joy, fear, anger or sadness

• Learn to name what they feel

• Feel seen and listened to

Play allows children to say with actions what they often cannot yet express with words.
It becomes an emotional language — and creativity is its grammar.

2. Play teaches how to relate to others

When children play together, they learn to:

• Share

• Take turns

• Negotiate

• Solve small conflicts

These skills are the foundation for healthy relationships with friends, classmates and family.
Creativity here appears as social imagination: the ability to see from another’s perspective.

3. Play helps manage frustration

In play, things don’t always go as planned.
Sometimes you lose, wait, or need to change the rules.

This teaches children to:

• Tolerate frustration

• Control impulses

• Accept mistakes

These are essential skills for everyday life — and for creative thinking, which always involves trial, error and adaptation.

4. Play strengthens self-esteem

When children play and feel capable, they:

• Gain confidence

• Feel valued

• Learn to overcome challenges

Play offers small, achievable successes that build inner security.
A child who feels capable is a child who dares to imagine.

5. Play strengthens family bonds

Playing as a family:

• Improves communication

• Creates moments of real connection

• Builds positive shared memories

• Makes children feel important

It doesn’t require much time.
What matters is presence.

Shared play weaves creativity into relationships.

6. Play also helps adults

Play is not just for children.
An adult who plays:

• Reduces stress

• Strengthens the relationship with their children

• Enjoys the present moment

Playing together helps adults reconnect emotionally — and remember how creativity feels from the inside.

How to encourage play at home

• Set aside screen-free moments

• Play together, even for short periods

• Accompany without controlling too much

• Lead by example: children learn by watching

Three creative games for the whole family

1. Collective Story

How to play:
Material: paper and pencil.
One person starts a story with a sentence.
Each player adds a new sentence.
You can set a time limit or number of rounds.
At the end, read the full story aloud.

Variations:

• Mystery, gentle horror, adventure or humor

• Each sentence must include an emotion

Benefits:
Creativity. Emotional expression.

2. Guess the Sound

How to play:
One person makes a sound while others guess with eyes closed.

Variations:

• Household sounds

• Nature sounds

• Invented sounds

Benefits:
Sensory attention. Listening skills.

3. Family Challenges

How to play:
Write challenges on pieces of paper, such as:

• “Say three things you’re grateful for”

• “Make someone laugh”

• “Imitate another player”

Each person draws a challenge in turn.

Benefits:
Emotional bonding. Self-awareness.

Final message for families

Play is a way of caring for children’s emotional health.
It is not a waste of time — it is an investment in their wellbeing, family relationships and future.

When we play with our children, we are telling them:
“I see you. I hear you. You matter.”