PlaySchool for Parents

2010-01-10T16:36:00.000-08:00

11^th January 2010

Many parents do not know how valuable play is for their children. International studies indicate that childhood play is vitally important in building social skills and problem-solving abilities, developing creativity and helping to address obesity and other health problems.

There is a crisis of play's disappearance from early-childhood education according to a report released by the Alliance for Childhood in March 2009, “Crisis in the Kindergarten: Why Children Need to Play in School. Schools are under pressure from parents to produce academic results and are replacing free, imaginative play with learning focused on numeracy and literacy. The alliance is calling for "a national movement for play in schools and communities." (Download a PDF of the report at the Alliance for Childhood's site.)

In 2006 a report from the American Academy of Pediatrics indicated concern of a "hurried and pressured" lifestyle cutting into children's time for free play. The academy urged time and opportunities for what it describes as "active child-centered play" to foster children's physical, social, and emotional well-being. (The report is available at the Academy's Web site.)

The role of play in helping develop creativity and social skills was highlighted in Scientific American in the article "The Serious Need for Play.”

In Australia the Spirit of Childhood Foundation www.spiritofchildhood.org have developed a successful series of “Play and Learn’ programs to help parents relearn how to play with their children. The programs in Campbelltown,Sydney and Northern NSW have enabled the parents and children to learn simple hand gesture songs and stories, bake bread together and while the parents make simple toys for their children, the children engage in ‘creative’ play.

While there is no manual for parents, http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/despite-the-gurus-there-is-no-instruction-manual-for-parents-20100101-llpu.html the Spirit of Childhood Foundation has created a ‘school for parents’ where parent learn how to go ‘back to basics’ and learn to play.