2021, Vol. 3, Issue 1, Part B

Play means spontaneous or voluntary recreational activities pursued for enjoyment and accessories or equipment used in the activities; includes games, toys, etc. Play has the power not only to aid in normal child development but also to help alleviate emotional and behavioral difficulties. For over six decades, play therapy has been recognized as the oldest and most popular form of child therapy in clinical practice. Health and illness underpin our everyday existence. Health allows us to live full lives and to function as social beings. Illness disrupts our lives, sometimes seriously. Healthy children become a healthy adult improving the health of children is one responsibility among many. Play is integral to the academic environment. It ensures that the school setting attends to the social and emotional development of children as well as their cognitive development. It has been shown to help children adjust to the school setting and even to enhance children’s learning readiness, learning behaviors, and problem-solving skills. Social-emotional learning is best integrated with academic learning; it is concerning if some of the forces that enhance children’s ability to learn are elevated at the expense of others. Play and unscheduled time that allow for peer interactions are important components of social-emotional learning.

Methods and material: An evaluator research approach with pre experimental (one group pretest posttest group) design was adopted to achieve the objectives of the study. The 40 samples were collected by using the convenient sampling technique. The data was collected from the participants by using a structured knowledge questionnaire and likert scale. Informed written consent was taken from each mothers of under five children. Both descriptive and inferential statistics was used for data analysis.

Results: In pretest knowledge score 18(45%) of mother have inadequate knowledge, 22(55%) of mother have moderate knowledge and no one mother have the adequate knowledge regarding importance of play during hospitalization. But in posttest knowledge score 22(55%) of mother have adequate knowledge, 18(45%) of mother have moderate knowledge and no one mother have the inadequate knowledge regarding importance of play during hospitalization. The findings have shown that the posttest knowledge score is higher than the pretest knowledge score. Hence, planned teaching programme was effective in terms of enhancing knowledge of mothers regarding importance of play during hospitalization.

In pretest the majority of mothers 38( 95%) has average attitude, 2 (5%) mothers has high level of attitude and no one having low attitude regarding importance of play during hospitalization. But in posttest attitude score, 40(100%) mothers has high attitude and no one have average and low attitude regarding importance of play during hospitalization. The findings have shown that the posttest attitude score of mothers of under five children is higher than the pretest attitude score regarding importance of play during hospitalization. Hence, planned teaching programme was effective in terms of enhancing attitude of mothers regarding importance of play during hospitalization.

Conclusion: Finding of the study shown that planned teaching programme was effective in terms of enhancing knowledge and attitude of mothers of under five children regarding importance of play during hospitalization.