Research shows guided play is the most effective type of play for helping children learn. Credit: Jackie Mader/The Hechinger Report
By Jackie Mader, The Hechinger Report, June 29, 2023
Parents are under a lot of pressure these days: They need to support children’s emotional development after a traumatic few years of the pandemic, address learning loss and prepare children to be productive, successful members of society. The good news is, research shows there’s a simple way to help kids do well academically and socially—and that involves simply giving them opportunities to play. But not all parents know how to support play or what kind of play benefits children the most, according to the forthcoming results of a recent survey by researchers at Temple University and the LEGO Foundation, which also funded the research.
The survey questioned a representative sample of nearly 1,200 parents of children ages 2 to 12 in the United States about their beliefs and behaviors related to parenting and different kinds of play, including free play where a child is independent, and guided play, where an adult provides support. The initial findings of this survey found huge support for play among parents, but researchers found some misconceptions around how to best use play to support learning.
Earlier this month, I spoke to Charlotte Anne Wright, one of the researchers involved in the survey and a senior research associate at the Temple Infant and Child Lab, to learn more about how parents can support playful learning without getting overwhelmed or overburdened. This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
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