Play is more than just joy for kids—it’s �vital for their development.
September 2013
By Corinne Garcia
Once upon a time, children roamed free: They would go from yard to yard, put together a game of baseball with the neighborhood kids and come back at dinnertime totally wiped out.
Today, between school, homework, computers and TVs, and a fear of letting children out of sight, this kind of free play has mostly gone out the window.
Gone with it is a whole spectrum of growth and development opportunities, from communication skills and physical health to innovation and creativity, all of which play big roles in setting up children for a positive future.
During the academic year, many youngsters are simply too busy to even play outside. When they do have downtime, many choose to spend it in front of a screen. “In the summertime, I literally have to pry the iPad out of my kids’ hands and make them go outside,” says Cara Wilder of Bozeman, Montana. “The first go-to when they have free time is the screen.”
Full story:
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