from Motherly
by Heather Marcoux
It brings a smile to their faces and ours, while lowering stress and building little brains. Play is such an important part of childhood, but opportunities for play in modern life are shrinking, and the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests they need to grow so our kids can grow, too.
In 2018 the AAP published a clinical report stressing the importance of play in child development and urging parents to play with their children every day.
The report suggests pediatricians should offer a prescription for play to new parents, advising moms and dads to make time for playtime, and suggesting schools do the same. “I think we’re continuously learning that play is really essential for kids — it’s not just an afterthought or an accessory,” Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, a professor in the psychology department at Temple University and one of the report’s lead authors told AAP News.
A growing body of research on the subject shows that play—and the bonds we build when we play with our kids—helps kids learn important skills, leads to changes in neuronal connectivity, encourages prosocial behavior and protects kids from toxic stress.
