TED Talks: Why play is vital, by acclaimed doctor and researcher Stuart Brown (May 2008) Natalia, and members of the Naked Heart Foundation are often asked why we consider play to be of such importance. Some of the fondest memories for many of us are of times spent playing in our childhood, or even in adulthood with our own children and friends. However, it is too easy to take play for granted: there are still thousands and thousands of children who are deprived of the possibility of play during their childhood. Natalia's and the Foundation's will to bring clean and secure spaces for children to play in is driven partly by personal experience, but also by a number of articles and videos that support the necessity of play for a healthy development and lifestyle amongst children. We are therefore gathering a few of these documents in the "Play Library", for all to gain as much understanding as we have of the vital impact of play in childhood.
Kenneth R. Ginsburg's report:
"The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bond", January 2007, for the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics).
This report explores the impact of play deprivation in Western culture, as well as in areas of the world where harsh living conditions affect play amongst children. Ginsburg argues that play has a vital role in the development of a child's ability to engage with the world and interact. The deprivation of play, and notably exploratory play, which allows a child to make full use of her imagination, and the fact that children may be pushed to enact adult roles too soon, mean that children don't always benefit from the mechanisms that could protect them from the pressure of being an adult - mechanisms that, according to Ginsburg, are developed through play.
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