In the News.
"A lack of physical activity was a major problem even before the pandemic, and play deprivation has increased dramatically during the past year. What’s more, experts say we’re going about play all wrong: Kids’ play today is too regimented, too structured, too routine. What our kids really need is the opportunity to take risks in play — it’s how they grow. While the problem of insufficient physical activity may not have an overnight solution, there’s plenty that parents can do to support and encourage their kids’ development through play.”
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"Over the past decade, more and more children are being coded as having attention issues and possibly ADHD. A local elementary teacher tells me that at least eight of her 22 students have trouble paying attention on a good day. At the same time, children are expected to sit for longer periods of time. In fact, even kindergartners are being asked to sit for 30 minutes during circle time at some schools. The problem: kids are constantly in an upright position these days. It is rare to find children rolling down hills, climbing trees and spinning in circles just for fun. Merry-go-rounds and teeter-totters are things of the past. Recess times have shortened due to increasing educational demands, and children rarely play outdoors due to parental fears, liability issues and the hectic schedules of modern-day society. Let's face it: Children are not moving nearly enough, and it is really starting to become a problem." - Hanscom
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"Four-year-olds in play easily solved logic problems that they were not supposed to be able to solve until they were about 10 or 11 years old! Here I describe how a playful state of mind helps both adults and children solve problems that they fail to solve in a serious state of mind." - Peter Gray