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INTRODUCTION

“We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is

someone today !tacia Tauscher"

All children need to play irrespective of age, culture, and social

 background, economic circumstances. Parents must know the play needs of 

their children to maintain sound mental and physical health.

From the birth, till he attains the age of three, the child is seen playing

games that involve emotional, perceptive and biological motions. He is

interested in playing with gaily colored objects which he throws around,

 breaks them and puts them in his mouth. The very small infant is capable

only of throwing his arms and feet about. The infant in his age group also

 play with colored chart, paint and brushes etc. They take keen interest in

listening to stories and studying pictures in books. Playing with dolls making

sand edifices is an eually engaging occupation for them !.

"abies and toddlers need a safe, healthy environment and warm,

responsive adults to stimulate their growth and development. #t is $nature

and nurture% working together that enhances physical, social, emotional,

cognitive, cultural and creative growth in children &.

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Plays are also utili'ed to get rid of many mental problems and

character difficulties of children. The reason behind this is therapeutic power 

of play. The emotions that the child is unable to e(press due to the necessity

of social life and general conformity and is forced to repress, cause many

abnormalities in his personality and behavior ).

An understanding of the benefits of play can help parents and teachers

allow for ma(imum potential in enhancing children development. Play is an

essential human function. From the first playful face*to*face interactions

with a newborn infant to the last breath of an elderly person, play and

 playfulness illustrate humanness. +an only plays when he is in the fullest

sense of the word a human being- and he is only fully a human being when

he plays+. Play is universal. #t is how we learn to handle the world and our 

social roles in it. any researchers have affirmed the importance of play in

growth and development. +Play as a process lies at the very core of human

 behavior and development+. He continued tracing the significance of play by

linking it to the biological forces that impel, direct, and delimit action and

growth. Play is by no means a trivial and simple set of behaviors. +#t is a

comple(, multidimensional seuence of behaviors that changes considerably

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in process and morphology, particularly during infancy and the early

childhood years+ .

/hildren need only stimulation, play and adeuate space to develop

their motor abilities. Although it is important to the children to have

opportunity to e(plore, it is also important that some limitations be placed

on play, both for the sake of safety and for the establishment of necessary

routines. They need to have some limits set to feel secure enough to trust

their own creativity !.

Play is a universal language of children. #t is one of the most

important forms of communication and can be an effective techniue in

relating to them. Play empowers children, supports their right to make

choices to discover their own solutions and to develop at their own pace 0.

#"$" N%%D &OR T'% !TUD(

Play is a very important part of development for the growing child.

 1ot only is play time entertaining for the child, but it also provides

stimulation, increases skills and coordination, provides an outlet for child2s

energy, and helps to encourage e(ploration by the child 3.

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others are child%s first and best play mates. 1ot only do mothers

have an important role in choosing good toys, but research shows that the

most creative children are those who have had mothers involved in their 

 play. The mother%s role in play is as a responder and facilitator, not a director 

which many of parents are unaware. The parents should know about various

forms of social behavior in play, se( role behavior in play and must have the

abilities, e(periences and interests in selection and care of play things

4

.

A study shows that children e(press their problems symbolically in

their play. The analysis of these symbols of abnormalities can help in their 

cure of mental problems and character difficulties in children. #t is for this

reason that researcher has supported the cure of mental disorders through the

medium of play 5.

6ome parents even today regard children%s play as a waste of time and

feel that their time could be better spent in learning something useful that

will prepare them for adult life. 6ome may insist their children always be

learning something or trying something new which makes play a stressful

rather than a rewarding e(perience for the children. These parents fail to

make their children to interact with others or other children.

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As the children continue to grow they also develop the capacity of 

continuous concentrations and attentions. The retention and widening of 

attention is open to many influences. A child of two can attend to any game

from one to seven and a half minutes, a child of three from one to twelve

minutes 7.

An important part of play for young children is play with mothers and

there should be sometime for this every day. A toy company some years ago

asked a large number of young children and their survey found that many

children wanted more time with their parents !8.

9Play is freely chosen, personally directed, intrinsically motivated

 behavior that actively engages the child. Play can be fun or serious. Through

 play children e(plore social, material and imaginary worlds and their 

relationship with them, elaborating all the while fle(ible range of responses

to the challenges they encounter: !!.

A study on 9;etting 6erious About play*A . This shows the importance of children%s play in their 

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lives- also helps to recogni'e the importance of understanding the diversity,

comple(ities and richness of children%s play !&.

The main focus of !4th #PA ?orld /onference &885 was on what play

is@ alarming trends affecting childhood. #PA is deeply concerned by a

number of alarming trends and their negative impact on children2s

development such as society%s indifference to the importance of play,

overemphasis on theoretical and academic studies in schools, increasing

numbers of children living with inadeuate provisions for survival and

development. Hence following proposals are listed such as play is essential

for the physical and mental development of child, play is a part of education,

 play is an essential part of family and community life, child needs

opportunities to play at leisure, the needs of the child must have priority in

the planning of human settlements !).

#")" O*+%CTI%! O& T'% !TUD(

!. To assess the knowledge of rural mothers regarding the importance of 

 play in growth and development of their children.

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&. To assess the knowledge of urban mothers regarding the importance of 

 play in growth and development of their children.

). To compare the knowledge of rural and urban mothers of under*five

children regarding importance of play in growth and development.

. To find out the association of knowledge of mothers towards the play

needs of their children with selected demographic variables.

#"-" R%!%.RC' '(/OT'%!I!

H!* There will be a significant difference among the knowledge of nowledge of mothers regarding importance of play in

growth and development

Demogra3hic ariables2  age, education, location, occupation,

socioeconomic status.

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#"4" O/%R.TION.1 D%&INITION!

5nowledge2 in the study it refers to the information possessed by mothers of 

under*five children regarding importance of play in the growth and

development of children and as assessed by structured knowledge

uestionnaires.

6others2 in the study it refers to the mothers of the under*five children in

the rural areas.

.ssess2 in the study it refers to 6tatistical measurement of correct response

to the knowledge items listed in the tool.

#"#" .!!U6/TION!

!. The mothers of rural area may have some knowledge about the role of 

 play in growth and development of children.

&. The mothers of urban area may have some knowledge about the role of 

 play in growth and development of children.

). The play helps in the better growth and development of children

#"7" D%1I6IT.TION

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!. The study is delimited to those mothers whose children are between the

ages of 8*0 years.

&. The study is related only to the knowledge of mothers regarding play

activities of children.

). The study is delimited to the mothers available at the time of study.

. The study is delimited to the areas under the study.