The BENEFITS of PLAY

It's more than just fun-play can teach kids how to process the world, develop their imagination and independence and more. Here's how to help them step away from the screen and get the most from those carefree moments.

- JAMIE SPAIN

It can be difficult to find the energy to play with your kids at the end of a long day, but non-screen-based play can give a big boost to their development and well-being. "Play is important because it's a laboratory for children to learn, explore and process the world around them, which can feel overwhelming," says Rebecca Schrag Hershberg, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and a parenting coach at Little House Calls. "It's a chance for them to experiment with relationships and concepts they're curious about. [It's a safe way for them] to take this big world around them and make it small, to have control and play with things at a pace and in a style that feels familiar and with which they're comfortable as they grow and learn."

Good Housekeeping talked to experts about the power of play for our annual We Are Family Parenting Summit, discovering ways to maximize the benefits of playtime.

CHOOSE QUALITY OVER QUANTITY.

"We put so much pressure on ourselves to spend oodles of time with our kids, but the key is quality, focused, child-centered, child-led time, regardless of their age," explains Ann-Louise T. Lockhart, Psy.D., a pediatric psychologist, parenting coach and business owner as well as an author. "Even if it's 15 minutes of focused attention, when you're fully present and not doing other things in your mind, that can be a big thing." What if you don't have the mental capacity to do that? "Lying on the couch just observing your kids, watching and commenting, can be a way of attending and being present," she says.