Opportunities For Development Of Executive Functions In Play Activities: A Theoretical Overview

This review is devoted to opportunities for development of executive functions in play in preschool age. The aim was to analyse the research into the relationship between executive functions and play activities in preschool children over the past 15 years. A number of correlation studies have shown some connection to exist between the play development level and self-regulation in preschool children. In addition, numerous studies prove there is connection between the use of imagination in a play situation and executive functions development. The second part of the review is describing the studies that attempt to develop executive functions by involving children in play. The findings suggest that play activity does not only require a certain level of executive functions development but it also serves as a mechanism for their development. We believe it to be important for an imaginary, symbolic situation, emotionally charged by the presence of an imaginary character to allow the child to reach a new level of EF development, which is otherwise unattainable to him in a real situation. Thus, the results of our review indicate a positive relationship between executive functions and play in preschool children. Furthermore, this relationship is traceable not only at the level of correlation research, but it is also very conspicuous in the formative researches.