child development. This clinical report also cautions that hurried lifestyles, heavy academic and

extracurricular committments threaten our children's cognitive, physical, social and emotional wellbeing.

The full report can be downloaded online at http://www.aap.org/pressroom/playFINAL.pdf

Among the specific guidelines, the report suggests:

• Free play is a healthy, essential part of childhood and all children should be afforded ample,

unscheduled, independent, nonscreen time that is child driven rather than adult directed.

• Parents can be supportive and nurturing by playing with their children.
• "True toys" such as blocks and dolls, allow children to use their imagination fully, rather than passive

toys that require limited imagination.

• Parents should not passively accept claims by marketers and advertisers about products or

interventions designed to produce smarter kids.

• Children should have an academic schedule that is appropriately challenging and extracurricular

exposures that offer appropriate balance. What is appropriate has to be determined individually for

each child on the basis of their unique needs, skills, and temperament.

Play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and physical,

cognitive, and emotional strength. Play is important to healthy brain development. It is through

play that children at a very early age engage and interact in the world around them. Play allows

children to create and explore a world they can master, conquering their fears while practicing

adult roles, sometimes in conjunction with other children or adult caregivers. As they master their

world, play helps children develop new competencies that lead to enhanced con?dence and the

resiliency they will need to face future challenges. Undirected play allows children to learn how to

work in groups, to share, to negotiate, to resolve con?icts, and to learn self-advocacy skills. When

play is allowed to be child driven, children practice decision-making skills, move at their own pace,

discover their own areas of interest, and ultimately engage fully in the passions they wish to pursue.

Article Source: Clinical Report, American Academy of Pediatrics

Excerpt from The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaing Strong Parent-Child Bonds

PEDIATRICS Volume119, Number 1, January 2007 p183