Unfortunately, most parents have little time to play with kids, survey finds

Despite near universal acknowledgment that playtime is a vital component of a child’s development, 62 percent of parents engage in “active play” with their children for six hours or less per week, or less than an hour a day on average. Sixteen percent admit that their playtime interaction with their kids averages less than one hour each week.

According to a new survey, commissioned by HearthSong on the occasion of its 25th anniversary as one of America’s most trusted children’s toy brands, and conducted by IPSOS Public Affairs, a leading, global research company, 99 percent of parents with a child aged 12 and under believe that children’s play is important for a variety of reasons, but in a world in which the demands on parents’ time are considerable, only 38 percent of parents say they spend at least six hours per week in active play with their kids. One in six parents doesn’t even spend an hour a week, averaging fewer than 10 minutes per day in playtime with their sons and daughters.

“Everyone recognizes that for children to be children, they need time to play,” said Beverly Fries, an educational play expert at HearthSong. “Play at any stage of a child’s development helps instill a sense of accomplishment, delight and both intellectual and social growth. What is equally important to understand is the opportunities that play provides parents to engage with their children, to praise and encourage them in ways that instill strong and enduring bonds.”

Scholarship sweepstakes

To celebrate the inherent connection between play and learning, and in commemoration of the company’s 25th anniversary, HearthSong is sponsoring the HearthSong 25th Anniversary $25,000 Scholarship Sweepstakes. The contest, which runs until the end of December 2008, will award three college scholarships – including a $15,000 grand prize scholarship – as well as 25 other prizes. Winners will be selected at random from among eligible entries. More details are available at www.hearthsong.com.

Additional survey findings

In other survey results, of those parents who do play with their kids, over one third (36%) say they most often play with games or toys, another quarter (27%) most often participate in unstructured play and a like number (27%) play outside, in either unstructured or structured activities such as sports.

Parents were fairly evenly split on the value of structured play. Forty-four percent of respondents said that structured play such as play groups, school and sports leagues satisfy their child’s play requirements, while 56 percent disagreed.

When asked what they believed was the most important aspect of play in contributing to their child’s development, more than one in four parents (27%) said “learning to interact with others,” while fewer mentioned developing “motor skills” (18%), “problem solving” (17%), “creative thinking” (17%), “imagination” (12%) or a “sense of accomplishment” (9%).

And lastly, despite the growing popularity of electronic toys, such as computer and video games, only 38 percent of respondents indicated that their child spends more time with electronic toys than with other types of play.

“Laughter and engagement in active play is essential to the well being of your child,” said Fries. From newborns to pre-teens, active play enhances a child’s mental, physical, emotional and social development throughout their life.”