A few notes on the importance of play in difficult times:

• Play is essential to child development. All you super-parents out there working from home, home-schooling, and/or parenting under stress and isolation can rest easy that simply letting children play at home or (socially-distanced) at a park is contributing to their physical, social, cognitive, and emotional development.
  • The Benefits of Play from Voice of Play
• Self-directed play is especially useful, but it can take practice to push through boredom and get those (very beneficial!) creative juices flowing so start small and work up to longer stints of free-play time.
  • NYT Parenting: Now’s a Good Time to Teach Your Kid’s to Play on Their Own
• Play is often the way children process difficult emotions and confusing events. Don’t be alarmed if their play reflects their worries or troubling current events.
  • The Atlantic: How The Coronavirus is Influencing Children’s Play
• Don’t forget to get some play-time in for yourself! Caring for your own mental health is one of the best things you can do for you students and children.
  • Washington Post: Why it’s Good for Grown-Ups to Go Play