Why Playtime is Good for Kids... and Adult

 Why Playtime is Good for Kids... and Adult

One of life's simple pleasures -- playtime -- is not only as good for you and your kids as it feels, but it also seems to be disappearing from many adults' and even kids' schedules.

And while there is surely something to be said for working long hours and enrolling¹ your kids in non-stop enrichment activities, there are increasing arguments that free play (tag, hide-and-go-seek, playing house, building with blocks), for kids, and various leisure-time activities for adults, are just as important.

Many Kids Missing Out on Unstructured Play

Unstructured play, things like playing with blocks and dolls, running around outside, building forts and making up imaginative games, is fast becoming a thing of the past for American children, according to an American Academy of Pediatrics report.

The beneficial free play is being bumped out in favor of educational videos, classes and other enrichment activities -- so much so that it may be hurting children's physical and mental health.

The American Academy of Pediatrics is now suggesting that pediatricians examine children with "stress checks" to be sure their schedules are not overloaded².

"A lot of pediatricians are seeing stress in children with this kind of [overloaded] schedule. It's not true for all kids, but it is a serious problem," says report author Kenneth Ginsburg, a pediatrician of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Free Play Encourages Healthy Development in Kids

The report stresses what commonsense³ also indicates: that allowing kids to play freely, along with providing "downtime," is necessary for their healthy development. According to the report, this type of play (dolls, books, blocks, physical play, etc.) helps children:

Become creative

Develop problem-solving skills

Relate to others

Discover their own passions

Adjust to school settings

Adults Need Playtime, Too

Kids are not the only ones who benefit from unstructured downtime -- time to do whatever your heart desires. Adults also need to play, for their health, their minds and their very sanity⁴.

When you take time to do something you love, levels of dopamine and serotonin rise in your body, which makes you feel calm and pleasant. Meanwhile, adult playtime gives you a chance to:

Connect with family, friends or new acquaintances

Reflect inwardly

Learn a new skill or hone an old one

Relax and de-stress

Be creative

"You feel happier, healthier, and more fulfilled when you can do things that provide the kind of satisfaction you're looking for," says Howard E.A. Tinsley, PhD, professor emeritus⁵ of psychology⁶ at Southern Illinois University. "Over the long term, the ability to do these kinds of things leads to a greater level of physical and mental health, and to a higher quality of life."

Playtime is also essential to help adults relieve stress, says Blair Justice, PhD, professor of psychology at the University of Texas School of Public Health.

"You don't have time to make yourself sick," he says.

However, when adults become overly stressed and don't take time for leisure, they do just that. Too much stress leads to increases in chemicals such as cortisol and norepinephrine, which can disrupt the immune system and cause you to feel edgy⁷ and hostile. Studies have also found a link between high levels of these chemicals and heart disease.

Not Sure How to Play?

Kids seem to know inherently just what to do to have fun, but adults may need a little help. Above all else, make sure your playtime is enjoyable, and not something that feels like "one more thing to fit into the day."

Playing should be simple, fun, easy, and something that's a regular part of your routine. For this reason experts suggest NOT planning a complicated vacation for your playtime, but rather focusing on the little things (vacations are healthy, too, but for most don't happen often enough to rely on for your sole playtime).

Researchers say that many people enjoy nature, being near water, pets, poetry and good conversation, but do whatever you enjoy.

"People take drugs like heroin⁸ and cocaine⁹ to raise serotonin and dopamine, but the healthy way to do it is to pet your dog, or hug your spouse¹⁰, watch sunsets, or get around something beautiful in nature," says Justice.

Try to fit some type of play into your day, everyday, and you'll feel the difference. Need a few more ideas? Try:

Window shopping

Calling a friend for a chat

Flipping through a magazine

Putting on some music and dancing

Going for a walk

Drawing or painting a picture, or making something out of clay

Doing something you enjoyed as a kid (carving a pumpkin for Halloween, for instance)

Playing a board game

Singing a song

Playing with your pets

Daydreaming

Writing something (a poem, a note to your spouse, a letter)

Joining an adult sports league

1 enrolling   

v.招收( enrol的现在分词 )；吸收；入学；加入；[亦作enrol]( enroll的现在分词 )；登记，招收，使入伍（或入会、入学等），参加，成为成员；记入名册；卷起，包起

参考例句：

• They lashed out at the university enrolling system. 他们猛烈抨击大学的招生制度。 来自辞典例句
• You're enrolling in a country club, Billy. 你是注册加入乡村俱乐部了，比利。 来自辞典例句

2 overloaded   

a.超载的，超负荷的

参考例句：

• He's overloaded with responsibilities. 他担负的责任过多。
• She has overloaded her schedule with work, study, and family responsibilities. 她的日程表上排满了工作、学习、家务等，使自己负担过重。

3 commonsense   

adj.有常识的；明白事理的；注重实际的

参考例句：

• It is commonsense to carry an umbrella in this weather.这种天气带把伞是很自然的。
• These results are no more than a vindication of commonsense analysis.这些结果只不过是按常理分析得出的事实。

4 sanity   

n.心智健全，神智正常，判断正确

参考例句：

• I doubt the sanity of such a plan.我怀疑这个计划是否明智。
• She managed to keep her sanity throughout the ordeal.在那场磨难中她始终保持神志正常。

5 emeritus   

adj.名誉退休的

参考例句：

• "Perhaps I can introduce Mr.Lake Kirby,an emeritus professor from Washington University?"请允许我介绍华盛顿大学名誉教授莱克柯尔比先生。
• He will continue as chairman emeritus.他将会继续担任荣誉主席。

6 psychology   

n.心理，心理学，心理状态

参考例句：

• She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。
• He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。

7 edgy   

adj.不安的；易怒的

参考例句：

• She's been a bit edgy lately,waiting for the exam results.她正在等待考试结果，所以最近有些焦躁不安。
• He was nervous and edgy, still chain-smoking.他紧张不安，还在一根接一根地抽着烟。

8 heroin   

n.海洛因

参考例句：

• Customs have made their biggest ever seizure of heroin.海关查获了有史以来最大的一批海洛因。
• Heroin has been smuggled out by sea.海洛因已从海上偷运出境。

9 cocaine   

n.可卡因，古柯碱（用作局部麻醉剂）

参考例句：

• That young man is a cocaine addict.那个年轻人吸食可卡因成瘾。
• Don't have cocaine abusively.不可滥服古柯碱。

10 spouse   

n.配偶(指夫或妻)

参考例句：

• Her spouse will come to see her on Sunday.她的丈夫星期天要来看她。
• What is the best way to keep your spouse happy in the marriage?在婚姻中保持配偶幸福的最好方法是什么？