July 2016 - Parks & Recreation - 47

PLAY
The Power of

Are you getting your daily dose?
By Paula M. Jacoby-Garrett

C

onduct an internet search on the definition of play and you find to " engage
in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose. " Sounds entertaining and fun, but play is much more important than that.
In fact, it has shaped our lives and development as human beings and can make
the difference between being a successful, contributing adult or a life behind bars.
Why Play?
Play is part of a biological process that
enables children to develop into normal,
functioning adults and it's essential that
children engage in it, and engage often.
It is involved in nerve growth and the development of the brain's cortex and cerebellum. Learning how to discriminate between information, organize thoughts and
plan, and the development of feelings and
decision-making skills all evolve through
individual and group play activities.
" Play is the catalyst that provides all
children with the medium to develop
creativity while engaging their physical,

	

cognitive and emotional strength, " says
Anne-Marie Spencer, corporate vice president of marketing for GameTime. " It is
essential to both brain and character development, so that children can learn how
to engage and interact with the world. "
Biologically, " It has evolved over eons
in many animal species to promote survival. It shapes the brain and makes animals smarter and more adaptable. In
higher animals, it fosters empathy and
makes possible complex social groups, "
say authors Stuart Brown and Christopher Vaughan in their 2009 book, Play:
How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagi-

nation, and Invigorates the Soul. Children
who don't engage in play activity suffer
developmental setbacks and may lack
some basic functions for normal adult
life. For example, Baylor University researchers observed children with 20-30
percent smaller brain sizes as a result of
insufficient play.
The impact of a lack of play can also
present itself psychologically with abnormal behavior. Astoundingly, in a study
of Texas prison inmates, conducted by
Joe Frost, Parker Centennial Professor
Emeritus at the University of Texas, it
was shown that " 90 percent of the murderers showed either the absence of play
as children or abnormal play such as
bullying, sadism, cruelty to animals and
extreme teasing. Seventy-five percent of
the drunk drivers had play abnormalities. " These staggering statistics alone

W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | J U LY 2 0 1 6 |

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July 2016 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July 2016 - Parks & Recreation

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