THE SCIENCE OF PLAY: Why PLAY is vital to learning, social development, curiosity, and general well-being.

In this episode Erin introduces the strong connection between the PRACTICE of PLAY and the emotional and cognitive development of  the brain.PLAY is anything but trivial.It's a biological drive as integral to our health as sleep or nutrition. PLAY SCIENCE is a real thing - and we all need to take note - no matter what age, with or without children, at work and at home.This is the first episode in a series for the month of September - as we begin the Back-To-School schedule (whether that's inside home or at a school site) - we all need to re-evaluate our feelings toward play. I believe parents are getting bad advice - and play is getting a bad rap!I begin this conversation with introducing Dr. Stuart Brown's work and site his book, PLAY: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the SoulHe states, “Of all animal species, humans are the biggest players of all. We are built to play and built through play. When we play, we are engaged in the purest expression of our humanity, the truest expression of our individuality. Is it any wonder that often the times we feel most alive, those that make up our best memories, are moments of play? That is something that struck me.”The National Institute for Play (NIFP) describes seven different patterns of play - and I cover the first three in this episode. We will continue this discussion throughout September - as PLAY is that vital to your children!Consider these benefits:strong correlation between success & play activitybuilds self-confidenceboosts creativitydevelopment of social skillshelps memory, language and symbolic recognitionteaches stress managementpromotes healthy physical developmentSubscribe so you won't miss any of these exciting episodes CLICK HEREDon't forget to rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and share with me when you’re listening! Screenshot where you are in the episode, and tag me, @erin.hyer, on Instagram. www.HyerLearning.com