Summer time in Memphis means school is out, and it’s time to play! Long summer days are the best time to play together with your infants and toddlers.
Early childhood development depends on new experiences and play is the way that children develop social skills, problem solving ability, and emotional functioning.1 In the words of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, play is a fundamental right of childhood.
Play is nature’s way of teaching children new skills.1 By interacting with objects, people, and the world around them, children learn about their environment.
There’s an old saying that “play is the work of childhood,” and this issue of Research to Policy looks at the ways in which play works to shape the developing brains of young children in Memphis. Research shows us that play supports early brain development in impressive ways.
