The Power of Play: How Spontaneous, Imaginative Activities Lead to Happier, Healthier Children.

• Author: Kreyche, Gerald F.
• Position: Book review

THE POWER OF PLAY How Spontaneous, Imaginative Activities Lead to Happier, Healthier Children

BY DAVID ELKIND DE CAPO LIFELONG BOOKS 2007, 240 PAGES, $24.00

The subtitle to this book aptly applies to adults as well as kids. Grownups also need hobbies, creative outlets, and downtime, just like their children. The literature of play is extensive, although it has different meanings. One can see this in the terms, "Play ball!"--the umpire's order to start the game; artists will speak of a "play on light"; grammarians of a "play on words"; sex counselors on the importance of "foreplay" Philosophically, play, as an activity, is in a class by itself. Its purpose is pure fun, and play in the service of work or exercise, etc. fundamentally is a prostitution of play. Professional athletic teams do not play games; they work at them. Enough of these abstractions, however. The author's concern and expertise is in the field of child development and it is that to which he addresses the issue of play.

David Elkind is professor of child development at Tufts University and a noted authority on that subject. He has written a number of books, probably the most highly acclaimed being The Hurried Child. There, Elkind deals with the child who is all grown up but has no place to go. He sees dangerous trends in child raising and education that he maintains are harmful to youngsters--and to society itself. Kids are overscheduled, causing tension in them and their parents. They are expected to achieve more and more, earlier and earlier. Traditionally, there has been kindergarten (Frederick Froebel was its founder), then preschool, and now even pre-preschool. We are urged to remember that "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."

The President's "No Child Left Behind" legislation sets up national standards and local school districts are running themselves ragged to achieve them. Many are eliminating recess to give more time to academics. Elkind deplores these trends and that of parents pushing their children too hard, too soon. By doing so, mothers and fathers hope to give their proteges a competitive edge, not realizing this is a vicious circle. He advises them to be lighthearted and see the value of their youngsters' "just fooling around"...