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Dr. Beth Lange, Providence Children’s Museum Board member and pediatrician, spoke on Play: Why it's essential in children's healthy development and programs at the Providence Children’s Museum, where she is a member of the Board of Directors.
Dr. Lange said that play is the foundation of a healthy life, how children learn about the world, and how parents can create strong bonds with their children. Play involves physical, emotional and social skills, helping children develop critical thinking and recover from setbacks in life. One of the most critical impacts of play is in the formation of oral language skills that are the basis for effective reading skills. She cited studies showing the negative impact on future learning if a child falls behind in reading skills by the 3rd grade. Some prisons actually use the reading levels of a community’s schools to predict future census. One 3-year study showed that for each dollar spent on quality early childhood education there is a long-term economic benefit of $2.69.
There is much that can be done by adults to encourage effective play: be present, not distracted with a phone at the playground; generally limit screen time for both parents and child; ask children questions about play and what the child imagines; limit the number of children’s activities and the travel that goes along with it since constant activity can cause children anxiety.
Dr. Lange feels that video games are never educational, despite their labels, that news should be monitored and basically kept away from children, and that phones and tablets shouldn’t be allowed in the bedroom. She touched on the importance of recess to relieve stress and encourage exercise. Many RI schools have limited recess in recent years and deny students recess as a form of punishment.
The Providence Children’s Museum, in addition to the sheer fun it has offered generations of children, has a wide variety of programs that apply the concepts of play to build healthier relationships between children and adults. Families Together is one partnership program with the RI DCYF that teaches parents how to play with their children and build communications skills and helps to reunite family members.
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