FOR KIDS

Is playtime really critical to children's development and do kids today play less than their counterparts did twenty years ago? Yes!

According to a new book, 'Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination and Invigorates the Soul' by Stuart Brown and Christopher Vaughan, The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has found that hiring top graduates from premier schools is no longer enough. Recent graduates often lack problem solving skills. JPL now asks potential employees about how they played as children and the hands on projects they did.

Elizabeth Hartley-Brewer, in her book 'Raising Confident Boys: 100 Tips for Parents and Teachers,' suggests that "...through safely managed independent play, boys gradually realize that they can handle life on their own." She sites play as being essential for "the development of self esteem and confidence," not just because children practice social and problem-solving skills, but because, through play, children learn about themselves and establish their own identity.

Beyond intellectual growth, play has been linked to emotional and social growth. The Association for Play Therapy in the United States asserts that play may be "as important to human happiness and well being as love and work."

What does this mean for our community? Local school systems have been forced to compromise between playtime and study time, while at home, children are spending more time watching TV and playing video games. But there are ways to foster parent-child interaction, empower children’s natural problem solving abilities, and bring the focus of childhood back to playtime, the time experts say is critical for children’s growth. Children’s museums all over the country are doing just that.