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Connect With Your Child Through Play

by PBSParents.org, Posted May 25th 2011 5:00PM

When you think about your own childhood, do you recall times when you and your parents played together? Maybe it was hide-and-seek, or Monopoly or rock-paper-scissors. I remember pretending to be circus performers with my mom and dad, and playing ...Through play, children make sense of their experiences, and express their ideas and emotions.
1 COMMENTS

Child's Play: Efforts Building to Bring Back the Fun

by Mary Beth Sammons, Posted Jan 12th 2011 12:45PM

The sandbox is so, so lonely. Credit: Getty
Remember the good ol' days when Mom opened up the cabinets and let you play rock band with the pots and pans? Or all those afternoons you spent creating castles in the backyard sandbox?
...What happened to good, old-fashioned play time? It's rapidly becoming a thing of the past.
1 COMMENTS

Are Your Kids Getting Enough Pretend Play Time?

by Brett Singer, Posted Jan 6th 2011 10:00AM

Not all toys have to plug in. Credit: Getty Images Back in the day, "play time" didn't mean "screen time," because there weren't that many screens available. Now, of course, children have so many electronic entertainment options that ...Children have so many electronic entertainment options that they may not be getting enough good old fashioned pretend play.
2 COMMENTS

Play Is Serious Business at New York's Ultimate Block Party

by Honey Berk, Posted Oct 6th 2010 12:45PM

...Get your play on! Ultimate Block Party attracts 30,000 to New York's Central Park.
1 COMMENTS

Opinion: 'Imagination Playground' Lives Up to Its Name

by Honey Berk, Posted Aug 25th 2010 5:00PM

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14 COMMENTS

If You Build It, They Will Play: Fantasy Playhouses

by Honey Berk, Posted May 28th 2010 9:00AM

With a castle in their backyard, the Budge home is a popular spot for play dates. Credit: Lisa Budge
Barbara Butler has been helping parents make their kids' dreams come true for more than two decades, conjuring up castles for little princesses, ...
0 COMMENTS

The Importance of Play Houses for Kids

by Carrie Snyder, Posted Mar 17th 2010 1:00PM

With dreams of summer and backyard camp-outs -- and the early spring reality of chilly mud advancing to the doorstep -- the children have requested that Cabin Fever haul out the play tents from the basement. I have a love-hate relationship with these ...
0 COMMENTS

March Break Madness: How to Beat Boredom

by Carrie Snyder, Posted Mar 12th 2010 9:00AM

Hey, there. It's March Break. How are you? More importantly, where are you? If you're reading this, my guess is you're still here. Yup, Cabin Fever is still here, too. We're not in Florida, soaking in vitamin D and splashing in the ocean. We're not ...
0 COMMENTS

The Joys of the Neighbourhood Playgroup

by Carrie Snyder, Posted Feb 5th 2010 12:05PM

It's 9:30 on a Wednesday morning, and the older children have made their way to school. The smell of fresh-brewed coffee wafts through our house. A loaf of banana bread, baked and frozen last week, has been thawed and sliced, and sits on a plate ...
0 COMMENTS

How to Inspire a Love of Music in Children

by Carrie Snyder, Posted Dec 30th 2009 2:00PM

Cabin Fever wants to know: how do you inspire musical genius in children? Okay, we'll settle for deep appreciation and enjoyment. And a pain-free way to manage piano practice. So, we talked to an expert. Nicole Dueck writes and performs music for ...
2 COMMENTS

More Math, Less Fun; Is Playtime in Peril?

by Amy Hatch, Posted Oct 14th 2009 11:00AM

Kindergartners play eight hours less per week compared to 20 years ago. Credit: jupiterimages
Kids today have eight fewer hours of play during the week than they did 20 years ago, and even kindergartners are leaving the Play-Doh behind for a ...
5 COMMENTS

Do You Play With Your Kids?

by Amy Hatch, Posted Jun 2nd 2009 10:00AM

Lots of moms say playing with their kids is hard work. Photo courtesy of sxc.hu. When it comes to parenthood, the tasks are endless -- feeding, bathing, diapering, dressing -- the list goes on and on. So when it comes time to get down on the ...
9 COMMENTS

Kindergarten - It's Time to Bring Playtime Back

by Bethany Sanders, Posted Apr 6th 2009 9:00AM

When we were growing up, kindergarten was all about playing. These days, play has gone out the window, replaced by academics. But is this good for our kids? In January, I visited a two-day preschool with my three-year-old in hopes it would be a ...
15 COMMENTS

Playing Outside Makes Kids Smarter

by Susan Wagner, Posted Feb 26th 2009 3:00PM

Schools are cutting recess -- that's a shame -- but parents also need to make an effort to get kids out of the house and into the yard. In the race to help kids get ahead academically, American schools seem to take a spaghetti at the wall ...
9 COMMENTS

Hopscotch Voted Best Playground Game Ever

by Sandy Maple, Posted Feb 12th 2009 1:00PM

While too many schools today are nixing recess for more hours in the classroom, most of us grownups have oh-so fond memories of those 20 minutes each day on the playground. It was a time to let loose and have some fun, fun, fun. I remember anxiously ...
0 COMMENTS

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