Philly.com – Sarah Levin Allen, Ph.D.
“The word “play” has become somewhat of a dirty word in our culture; instead of playing, our children must now learn, study, do ballet, soccer…Each moment must be structured and planned to ensure the best, highest quality experience…In all of this, however, we tend to neglect the power of unstructured play. There is a significant amount of learning and brain growth that happens when children of all ages play. It is through play that children develop the skills associated with social-emotional learning…Social-emotional learning includes a child’s ability to understand the thoughts and feelings of himself and others, and to use that knowledge to practice skills necessary for appropriately interacting with others. They learn how to feel, how to control emotions, and how to express those emotions…In addition to these skills, an article in Pediatrics highlights play as essential to the development of creativity, resiliency, and cooperation skills. Higher social emotional skills have also been linked to improved behavior, higher academic performance, and better attitudes about school.”(more)