In Support of Playtime and True Toys

At Wugaboo, we have enjoyed hearing from Moms, Dads, and Grandparents about how their kids develop relationships with their Hugawugs toys and books. We've heard of kids who take their Hugawugs to bed with them, or along for a ride in the stroller and carseat. We've heard of kids who develop nicknames for their Hugawugs and act out imaginative play with them.

We were particularly intersted to learn that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has issued a report that supports a child's right, and need, for play. The report is titled, "The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds."

The report states that, "free and unstructured play is healthy and - in fact - essential for helping children reach important social, emotional, and cognitive developmental milestones as well as helping them manage stress and become resilient."

One important guideline suggested in the report: "Emphasizing the benefits of 'true toys', such as blocks and dolls, in which children use their imagination fully over passive toys that require limited imagination."

So let's hear it for giving kids of all ages time for free, unstructured play, and for providing them with "true toys" that get kids exercising their imagination muscles.