Parents need to play more

‘Crucial part of learning’

ONE in eight parents believe children’s play is mostly a “waste of time”, while Australian kids spend more days playing with digital devices than outdoors.

The results, from the latest Royal Children’s Hospital national child health poll, found 54 per cent of parents say their children played on screens most days, compared with 45 per cent for outdoor play.

While more than 90 per cent of parents said they enjoyed playing with their child, more than one-third of parents said they preferred not to.

The poll, which surveyed more than 2000 Australian parents of children aged from one month to 17 years, found dads (68 per cent) were slightly more likely than mums (58 per cent) to “often” find play hard or boring.

More than half of parents said their children needed more play time and less homework, while 86 per cent said it was hard for them to find time to play with their children.

Pediatrician and poll director Dr Anthea Rhodes (inset) said the results showed some parents though play – while fun – was “not essential”. However, she said that play with kids had physical, mental and social health benefits.

“Play is a crucial part of children’s learning and development,” she said.

Play involving risk – which more than a third of parents said was not good for children – also had a role in children’s development, she said.

“Trying to navigate risk is an important part of play and can be beneficial for children’s learning,” she said.

“It can sometimes be challenging to identify the difference between a healthy level of risk and a situation that is hazardous, when it comes to children’s play.

“It’s about allowing children and young people to have experiences that challenge and test them, without putting them in danger.

“That line will be different for every child.”

While screen time was often seen as a negative, Dr Rhodes said it could also be a form of play.

“Parents feel that play has changed over the years, with two-thirds saying play was better when they were growing up than it is for children today, and three-quarters believing it is good for children to be bored sometimes,” she said.

“Many parents find their kids are ‘stuck to their screens’, but may not realise that using digital devices can also be a form of play.

“It’s really about how the technology is being used.

“Children can express their imagination, curiosity and creativity through screenbased play,” Dr Rhodes said.