ABSTRACT
Occupations are meaningful and purposeful activities that individuals perform which add structure and routine to their lives and occupy their time (American Occupational Therapy Association, 2008). Childhood occupations include self-care activities, feeding, academic participation, and social participation. Play is one of the most important childhood occupations. Unlike the other childhood occupations that are product-oriented, play is process-oriented (Bundy, 1993). There is a correct way to tie shoes, brush teeth, and complete homework, but play enables a child to participate in fun activities without a specific end goal or correct criteria to meet (Miller-Kuhanek, Sptizer, &Miller, 2010; Skard & Bundy, 2008). Play additionally facilitates cognitive development (Piaget, 1962), language (Bruner, 1972), social skills (Parten, 1932), and psychosocial development (Erikson, 1963; Freud, 1961). Play provides children a vehicle through which they adapt to occupational challenges and form a sense of competency that fosters continued adaptation to challenges throughout the life.
