(NAPS)—If life for your family sometimes seems to be all work and no play, The Genius of Play wants to remind you whyit is so important to make time to play every day—and how to achieveit! Did you know thereis a direct correlation between play and stress reduction? Or that elementary students who have more than 15 minutes of recess are better behaved in school than those who haveless? According to experts at the Genius of Play, a movement whose mission is to raise awareness about the benefits of play and bring moreplay into kidslives, playtime is a powerful tool to help you unwind, while bringing the whole family closer together. What’s more, through play kids build physical skills, improve cognitive abilities, learn communication and social skills, process and express emotions, and increase creativity. How Families Can Play Every Day Here are some fun ideas from Genius of Play ambassador, parenting expert and author Meredith Sinclair, M.Ed, on howto incorporate play into yourbusyevery day routine: Leave spacefor the spontaneous:Intentionally mark off small chunks of time on the calendar throughout the week for “spontaneous” playtime. Sometimes, spontaneity takes planning. e Turn everyday occasions into play- ful moments. Make household chores fun by putting on somefavorite music and having the kids dance as they put the toys away, make the bed or help withthe dishes. Collect easy-to-play instrumentslike harmonicas, bongos or toy ukuleles Families today have busy lives but they should still try to put some play into every day. for impromptuafter-dinner family jam sessions. Keep playthings like hula hoops, crafts and playground chalk on hand for quick 10-minute play breaks during the day. It only takes a momentto create a chalk “picture frame” in the driveway and get the kids to draw something creative insideit. For a fun evening, try shutting downall screensafter dinner once in a while and gathering the whole family around a board game. It’s Child’s Play: Great Ideas and Resources Parents, teachers and play lovers can get expert advice, play ideas forall ages, and information on the benefits of play at www.thegeniusofplay.org. Created with the mission to help raise happier, healthier and more successful generations through the powerofplay, the Genius of Play website and social media channels show howto help kids build confidence, creativity, critical thinking and otherskills that will serve them throughouttheirlives.
