Frequently Asked Questions

Why is play important?

We asked some experts about this.....

Many years of research by a number of scholars has documented that healthy

 childhood play plays an important role in developing these skills:

• Development of motor skills
• Sharpening of the senses
• Development of empathy and the ability to express emotions
• Understanding and practice of sharing, turn taking, and other peer cooperation skills
• Increasing control of compulsive actions and learning to accept delayed gratification
• Sequencing skills
• Increasing the size of the vocabulary and the ability to comprehend language
• Increasing concentration skills
• Learning to navigate assigned roles
• Development of the capacity to be flexible
• Expansion of imagination, creativity, and curiosity
• Reducing aggression

This variety of life skills from healthy play draws a clear connection between play and the fundamental competencies that lead to success as adults in our culture such as literacy, mathematical reasoning, creative thinking, and the ability to get along with others. It’s also natural, fun, child-affirming, and family-strengthening.

To add to the good news, wholesome play doesn’t necessarily require a lot of planning or equipment. “The activities that are the easiest, cheapest, and most fun to do, such as singing, playing games, reading, storytelling, and just talking and listening,” notes Jerome Singer, “are also the best for child development.”Singer, Jerome L. and Singer, Dorothy. (June 1, 2000) Make Believe Play Boosts Learning and School-Readiness in Preschoolers, Yale Study Finds. Office of Public Affairs at Yale