Playtime's top building block for kids - docs
Enough already with the get-smart videos, baby genius classes and piano lessons - what children really need is good, old-fashioned playtime.
That's the word from the American Academy of Pediatrics, which is releasing a report today that calls free play "a simple joy that is a cherished part of childhood."
Whether it's romping on the playground, chasing butterflies or building with blocks, children need spontaneous play for healthy development, according to the report.
Child-rearing expert Dr. Berry Brazelton said he hoped parents will get the message that overscheduled kids "are missing the chance they have to dream, to fantasize, to make their own world work the way they want it."
But the pressure to create "super children" contributes to the lack of playtime in well-heeled communities, just as less advantaged children miss out if playgrounds are scarce or unsafe.
"There is a part of me that would worry if I don't sign my son up for some of these things. Will he not be on par with the other kids?" said Jennifer Gervasio, whose 5-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter go to preschool three mornings a week, plus play T-ball and take ballet one day a week.
Gervasio said her kids have a light schedule compared to their friends, adding her son has trouble finding buddies who are free to come over to just play.
A lack of playtime can create stress for children, and if parents plop young children in front of learning videos or children lose out on playground time, it also increases risks for obesity - and can even contribute to depression, the report says.
Jane H. Furse with News Wire Services
Originally published on October 9, 2006
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