Evidence that Free Play is Critical to Youth Mental Health
Evidence that Free Play is Critical to Youth Mental Health Gray P, Lancy D, Bjorklund D. (2023) Decline in Independent Activity as a Cause
Evidence that Free Play is Critical to Youth Mental Health Gray P, Lancy D, Bjorklund D. (2023) Decline in Independent Activity as a Cause
This is a condensed version of a larger article that appeared in the American Journal of Play (Gray, 2009).Analysis of the anthropological literature suggests that
Our History Home Dr. Stuart Brown founded the National Institute for Play to expand the scientific study of play and help people apply that science
Although recess has traditionally been a regular practice in primary school settings, today recess is being reduced or eliminated in an effort to provide more
The connection between play and culture has an illustrious past. In 1950, the classic play theorist Johan Huizinga articulated the position of play as a
Play and playfulness are enigmatic from an evolutionary perspective as it is not obvious that they provide any survival or reproductive benefits. Indeed, animals engaged
The world of iPods, mobile telephones, portable wireless computers, and devices of every description, including toys that contain computer chips, memory, voice recognition, and interactive
To look deeply at play, and to place it in evolutionary, biological, cultural and contemporary context is to partially answer the question, what, really does
Movement comes in all sizes. It is stretchable, temporally elastic, and full of energetic possibilities. It can be tailored to any occasion. It can be
Rough-and-tumble play, also called play fighting, is a form of play in which partners compete with one another to gain some advantage (e.g., strike, bite,
Play is not neatly defined in terms of any single characteristic; instead, it involves a constellation of characteristics, which have to do with the motives
Common usage claims broad application for the term playground including school playgrounds, park playgrounds, wilderness playgrounds, zoo playgrounds, arboretum playgrounds, camp playgrounds, casino playgrounds, dog
Free play, in which children develop their own activities, including rough-and-tumble activities that, as the term play implies, involves physical activity such as running, jumping,
Library of Play Home Research into play behaviors has expanded dramatically over the last decade producing a wealth of scientific literature. NIFP has invested hundreds
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The Institute wants the world to know:
A) Playing, being playful, is the healthiest way to spend your time (after feeding and housing yourself).
B) The activities that evoke playful feelings are unique to each of us.
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