The Significance Of Play: Enhancing Brain Development, Skills, And Happiness In Children

New Delhi: It starts with a laugh, a chase, or a cardboard crown. A child transforms a room into a jungle, a classroom into a kingdom, and a stick into a magic wand. What looks like simple play is actually a complex, beautiful process of becoming, where children build not just games but themselves.

Recognizing this hidden brilliance of play, the Bachpan Manao initiative by EkStep and NDTV is championing a powerful message: let's bring joy back into learning. Through playful experiences, every child, regardless of background or ability, can unlock their full potential. It's not about adding more; it's about bringing back what was always essential.

Play Lights Up the Brain

Science backs what every child's giggle already proves: play builds the brain. When children role-play, build, or create, they activate key regions of the brain involved in problem-solving, emotional regulation, and memory. It's during play that the brain's “happy hormone,” dopamine, gets released, boosting not just mood, but motivation and learning.

From the American Academy of Pediatrics to cutting-edge neuroscientists, the verdict is clear:

• Play sharpens communication
• Enhances creativity
• Strengthens social-emotional skills
•  And lays the groundwork for resilience

Every Child, Every Way

Play isn't one-size-fits-all. For children who are neurodiverse— those with autism, ADHD, or sensory sensitivities—play can look different, but it's just as powerful.

Sensory play helps calm and focus. Movement play supports coordination and expression.

Parallel play offers a gentle social connection.

As Mugdha Kalra, inclusion activist and co-founder of Not That Different, puts it:

“Role play helps neurodiverse children prepare for real-life situations with confidence and comfort.”

Learning in Disguise

Even in neurotypical children, play does what textbooks often can't—it teaches empathy, cooperation, and emotional intelligence. A pretend school game, a shared puzzle, or a dance-off with friends can become the backdrop for powerful learning moments.

“Play makes children resilient. It teaches conflict resolution, negotiation, and communication,”

says Richa Shukla, CEO of Dost Education.

Play is Preparation, Not Pause

Bachpan Manao reminds us that play is not the opposite of learning—it's the foundation of it. It's how children process the world, build relationships, and develop the strength to handle life's challenges. When we protect and promote play, we invest in smarter, kinder, and more capable generations. So let them build forts, invent planets, and make a mess. That's not just play—it's the work of childhood. And it matters more than we think.

Play is their language. Joy is their guide. Let's give every child the freedom to learn in the way they were born to.