The Evidence

If we were to write a syllabus for a course on the importance of play, this would be it. Explore the world’s best research on play, spanning the fields of economics, psychology, child development, education and neuroscience:

 


 

Play is more than just fun

By Stuart Brown, TED talk
 

The play deficit

By Peter Gray, Aeon magazine
 

Playtime with mom helps boost toddlers’ under-developed brains

By Nurith Aizenman, NPR
 

Why preschool can save the world

By NPR’s Planet Money
 

Play Power: How to turn around our creativity crisis

By Laura Seargeant Richardson, The Atlantic
 

Let the children play, it’s good for them!

By Alison Gopnik, Smithsonian
 

The science of play

By Radiolab
 

Want to get your kids into college? Let them play

By Erika and Nicholas Christakis, Harvard College
 

Ending poverty using plastic cups and wooden spoons

By Marcus Veerman
 

Zeal for play may have propelled human evolution

By David Dobbs, The New York Times
 

What’s the point if we can’t have fun?

By David Graeber, The Baffler
 

Do schools kill creativity?

By Sir Ken Robinson, TED talk
 

Why do children need play?

By Bob Hughes, Project Wild Thing
 

Brains at play

By NPR
 

The hard facts behind soft skills

By James Heckman
 

The case for play

Download the groundbreaking report highlighting the most significant research findings on the impact of early play interventions, particularly for children living in poverty.

Download “The Case for Play”

Power of Play Infographic

View and download the infographic on why play matters, translated into 23 languages.

Download the infographic