So What’s the Point of Playtime?

Scientists take play seriously. For decades, psychologists, evolutionary biologists, and animal behaviorists, among others, have labored to understand the playful mind.

Schools and parents alike should give children the time and opportunity to find their personal play styles. Play should be voluntary and enjoyable, not part of a high-stakes child-improvement plan. 

Clarifying the motivations and benefits of play could tell us much about behavior and cognitive development in people and other animals:

• Play may not enhance easy-to-measure things like IQ, but it may prime the brain to cope with the challenges and uncertainties of life.
• Young animals have an innate need to explore and experiment through play, a trait that could be useful for discovering food sources or learning other important lessons.