*Information adapted from, kidsource.com
- A large majority of parents (75%) believe that play is important to children's development.
- This belief proved strong in rural areas (85%) followed by urban (74%) and then suburban (71%).
- Of those surveyed, 91 percent stated that play has a positive effect on children's overall well being
- Other key aspects of childhood development positively impacted by play include:
Imagination (90%)
Self-confidence/self-esteem (90%)
Creativity (89%)
Problem solving (89%)
Cooperation (89%)
- Top activities children age 2-12 participate in outside of school:
Watching television (93%)
Watching videos (90%)
At playground (85%)
Exploring/nature (82%)
Reading (79%)
Top activities parents say have replaced play:
Video games (43%)
Television (33%)
Movies (16%)
School/academic activities (10%)
Organized sports (8%)
Top six ranked activities considered play by parents:
With toys (85%)
At playground (82%)
With action figures and with friends (both at 81%)
At friends' homes (80%)
With stuffed animals/dolls (79%)
Bottom six ranked activities considered play by parents:
Reading (25%)
Using computer to access Internet (27%)
Organized musical activities (29%)
Watching television and participating in drama (both at 33%)
Organized arts and crafts (37%)
This survey was conducted by Applied Research & Consulting, a quantitative telephone survey was conducted with a randomly selected sample of 400 parents nationwide.
