THE DOCTORS' ORDER - PLAY!

For those of us who have spent time in developing products for children, we all understand the importance of play - imaginative play, nurturing play, outdoor play, and the list goes on. Well, thanks to a recent clinical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the theory of the importance of play to childhood development is made fact.

Skills such as collaboration, negotiation, conflict resolution, self-advocacy, decision-making, creativity, leadership, and increased physical activity are just some of the benefits of old-fashioned play. Pediatricians are also emphasizing the importance of parents playing with their children. "The mutual joy and shared communication and attunement (harmonious serve and return interactions) that parents and children can experience during play regulate the body’s stress response." according to the report. One study documented that positive parenting activities, such as playing and shared reading, result in decreases in parental experiences of stress as well, and enhance the parent-child relationship.

Children as young as preschool age have limited to no recess. Music, the arts, and even physical education are being cut out of curriculum at all levels of K - 12 education reducing creativity, and physical activity that can lead to obesity. With the increased emphasis on preparing kids to score well on standardized tests, an overload of extracurricular activities and "helicopter" parenting no wonder they need play for "regulating the body's stress response"! 

And, if you haven't already noticed, I haven't even begun to mention kids' media consumption. The AAP report reveals that "Despite research that reveals an association between television watching and a sedentary lifestyle and greater risks of obesity, the typical preschooler watches 4.5 hours of television per day, which displaces conversation with parents and the practice of joint attention (focus by the parent and child on a common object) as well as physical activity."

A note to toy companies - inexpensive toys such as wooden spoons, blocks, balls, puzzles, crayons, boxes, and simple available household objects are as effective in facilitating active play as expensive ones.  Parents who engage with their children by reading, watching, playing alongside their children, and talking with and listening to their children is critical. It is the parents’ and caregivers’ presence and attention that enrich children, not elaborate electronic gadgets.

So a great takeaway is to listen to your mother when she says "Go outside and play!" (oh and listen to the pediatricians who say the same thing).