Doctors: Children’s play has major benefits

Imagine a drug that could enhance a child’s creativity, critical thinking and resilience. Imagine this drug were simple to make, safe to take and could be had for free.

The nation’s leading pediatricians say this miracle compound exists. In a new clinical report, they urge doctors to prescribe it liberally to the children in their care.

What is this wonder drug? Play.

“This may seem old-fashioned, but there are skills to be learned when kids aren’t told what to do,” said Dr. Michael Yogman, a Harvard Medical School pediatrician who led the drafting of the call to arms. Whether it’s rough-and-tumble physical play, outdoor play or social or pretend play, kids derive important lessons from the chance to make things up as they go, he said.

“Play is not frivolous,” the report states. It nurtures children’s ingenuity, cooperation and problem-solving skills — all of which are critical for a 21st century workforce. It lays the neural groundwork that helps us “pursue goals and ignore distractions.”

When parents engage in play with their children, it deepens relationships and builds a bulwark against the toxic effects of all kinds of stress, including poverty, the academy says.

In the pediatricians’ view, essentially every life skill that’s valued in adults can be built up with play.

“Collaboration, negotia- tion, conflict resolution, self-advocacy, decision-making, a sense of agency, creativity, leadership, and increased physical activity are just some of the skills and benefits children gain through play,” they wrote.