A new survery by LEGO shows a worrying trend. Kids around the world feel they are too busy and don’t have enough time to play, especially with their parents.
The Play Well Report by LEGO features the answers of more than 13 000 parents and kids from nine countries. It shows that on average one in five kids says they don’t have time to play.
The trend is most high in China, Saudi Arabia and USA. 32% of parents in those three countries, plus Russia, Denmark, Mexico, Germany, France, and the UK, admit they don’t have time to play with their kids either.
US kids spend on average seven hours a week playing a lone and six hours playing on a digital device. LEGO also reported nine out of 10 parents say play is “fundamental to their own happiness”.
“If you take the time to be present with your child in the moment when you’re grocery shopping, when you’re setting the table, when you’re tying shoes in the morning… [it’s a] perfect opportunity for you to use your imagination and help your child think about things in a different way. There’s a sweet spot where if a caregiver is really paying attention to a child, then that parent can help respond to what [the child] wants to do”, LEGO vice president Sarah Bouchie told Fast Company.
“You don’t need fancy toys. You don’t need a ton of time,” Bouchie said. “You don’t have to be perfect, you just have to put in the effort and just a few minutes a day can make a big difference.”
Making sure kids are busy learning and developing skills is important, but they also have to have plenty of time to relax, play and have fun. They are kids after all and playing is vital to their good state.
