The Importance of Play
"Play is our brain's favorite way of learning." Diane Ackerman Contemporary American Author "The true object of all human life is play." G.K. Chesterton British Author 1874-1936
Look around any typical neighborhood or school playground and you are likely to see a familiar scene - kids laughing, swinging and running on colorful slides, bridges and climbers while parents, teachers and caregivers watch carefully. But there is much more going on than meets the eye. Playgrounds are bright, colorful, open, hands-on classrooms of their own, with tremendous learning opportunities for kids of all ages. The goal of IPEMA's Voice of Play initiative is to educate everyone about the benefits of play, and to affect change in the way most people think about play. IPEMA believes play should be viewed not as frivolous fun, but as a essential tool in a child's development. A wide body of research shows that kids gain many valuable benefits from outdoor free play, including physical, emotional, social and cognitive. Click on the links above to learn more about each of these important benefits of play.