The Serious Need for Play

"Free, imaginative play is crucial for normal social, emotional and cognitive development.  It makes us better adjusted and less stressed."  This proclamation came from Melinda Wenner Moyer in her article, "The Serious Need for Play" in Scientific American Mind (Volume 25, Number 2).  In concluding this article, Moyer noted...

"Many parents today believe they are acting in their kids' best interest when they swap free play for what they see as valuable learning activities.  Some mothers and fathers may also hesitate to let their sons and daughters play outside unattended, and they may fret about the possibility of scrapes and broken bones that sometimes arise during rambunctious play....Although those parental instincts are natural, protecting children simply defrays the costs to later, when those same children have difficulty in dealing with an unpredictable, complex world....A better 2015 systematic review reported that risky outdoor play - climbing on high playground structures, for instance, or engaging in rough-and-tumble play - was associated with better physical health among kids, not worse, and that it was also linked to greater creativity and resilience.

"Parents should let children be children - not just because it should be fun to be a child but because denying youth's unfettered joys keeps kids from developing into inquisitive, creative creatures."

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