Play is more than just fun and games for children. It’s a crucial element of healthy development, shaping their physical, cognitive, social, and emotional well-being. Through play, children explore ...

As your child ages, they’ll participate in many different types of play. Here’s how each type stage and type contributes to their growth and development.

Sensory play is more than just fun and games. It's a vital component of childhood development. The rich neural pathways formed through sensory play facilitate learning and growth in all children, ...

An ecological approach to learning uses outdoor play, storytelling, and shared experience to help children develop a kinship worldview—a deep recognition that living and nonliving parts of the Earth ...

When was the last time you saw a child completely absorbed in play—building a block tower, chasing friends through a backyard, or creating imaginary worlds with whatever materials they could find?

With the help of their stuffed animals or figurines, many toddlers and preschoolers play “teacher,” “doctor” or “firefighter,” drawing early inspiration from the careers they observe in their ...

As the school year revs up, a renowned child developmental psychologist highlights the robust benefits of pretend play on cognitive, social, and emotional development in children and cautions how ...

Amid growing national interest in physical activity and youth development, trends in sports participation are shifting. Youth sports participation is rising across the United States, reaching its ...

If there is one thing I wish every parent could feel in their bones, it is this: play is not “just play”. It is not filler time between naps and meals, or something we squeeze in after the “real” ...

Over the last 17 years on the front lines of the children’s toy industry, I’ve watched some of the titans of the industry chase sales at the expense of development. Perhaps that’s unsurprising ...