Play is not only fun, it is fundamental!
Related Blog Post Categories
Power of Play
Nature Play
Creative Toys
Posts on Play:
Series on Open-Ended Play
A Different Kind of Brainy
Nature Walk Series
BOOKS
The Power of Play: Learning What Comes Naturally
Einstein Never Used Flashcards: and Why They Need to Play More and Memorize Less. (Reviewed here)
Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder
(Reviewed here)Miseducation: Preschoolers at Risk
ARTICLES
The American Academy of Pediatrics on the Importance of Play “Play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth…”
Children are Smarter than We Think… (But also think differently than we think!) An excellent article showcasing some of the recent brain research and how young children need parental interaction and time to PLAY! More of my thoughts on this article here.
Hop, Skip and Jump: Physical Activity Molded Our Past. Can It Shape Our Future?
A Parent’s Guide to Nature Play
Top 10 Reasons for Play (for all of us)
The Worksheet Dilemma: Benefits of Play-Based Curricula
Old-Fashioned Play Builds Serious Skills - including the critical skill of executive function, specifically a childs self-regulation abilitis - including the ability to alternately shift and focus attention and to inhibit impulsive responding that are uniquely related to early academic success.
RESOURCES
Alliance for Childhood ~ This advocacy group has some wonderful resources on the importance of play in the early years. Specifically, I love their fact-sheet on the importance and benefits of open-ended, free play!
The Green Hour – An incredible resource with all kinds of ideas to interact, play and learn out in nature!
Child and Nature: Building a Movement to Reconnect Children and Nature
BLOGS that encourage and inspire Play
Childhood 101
Let's Explore: Simple Ways to Create, Discover and Play
Playborhood.com
The Wonder Years
