Home Real Talk Here’s Why You Should Never Stop Playing By Anna Yudina Tinybeans Voices Contributor September 6, 2019 Search more like this cognitive skillscommunication skillsgood healthlanguage developmentraise awarenessrole modelsplaychildhoodmaturityinnocencepsychologistadulthoodbondinginitiative Advertisement Trending Now Celeb & Entertainment Serena Williams Announces Retirement: ‘If I Were a Guy, I Wouldn’t Be Writing This’ Celeb & Entertainment Melanie Lynskey Talks about Being Body-Shamed in Hollywood & ‘Starving Herself’ Viral & Trending Viral TikTok Explains Why You Don’t Owe Toxic Parents a Relationship with Your Kids Celeb & Entertainment ‘Bluey’ Season 3 is Coming to Disney+ This Week! Viral & Trending Dad Gets Shamed for Using a Leash with 5-Year-Old Quintuplets Advertisement Play is an important part of growing up, not only during childhood but also into adulthood and later in life. However, as we grow older, the free, unstructured play that once used to fill our time is replaced by more structured sports and game-playing and then turns to more sedentary activities. According to The Genius of Play, an initiative spearheaded by The Toy Association to raise awareness with parents, caregivers, and educators about the importance of play, giving children the opportunity to play with the whole family, including grandparents, provides a multitude of benefits for both young and old alike.With Grandparent’s Day on September 8, I spoke to Dr. Amanda Gummer, child psychologist and founder of Fundamentally Children, who explained that when kids have contact or play with older adults, they display higher levels of language development and problem-solving skills. Playing with people of different ages allows little ones to improve social and communication skills, while bonding and creating shared memories and traditions. When grandparents tell stories about their own lives, it helps children open their horizons and understand more about the world around them.And while children can gain an enriched learning experience from interacting with positive role models, playtime is also great for grandparents, as it gives them a chance to reminisce about their childhood. Playtime with grandchildren also promotes relaxation, reduces stress and increases activity levels in older generations, helping to increase coordination and maintain cognitive skills. Staying in good health allows grandparents to be able to experience new things with their grandchildren, which can build a foundation for a relationship that will last a long time.Children bring innocence, joy, laughter, and youthfulness into any environment and the elderly bring wisdom, experience, and maturity. So, with Grandparent’s Day on the horizon, remember to encourage a healthy, playful relationship between your kids and their grandparents. Anna Yudina Tinybeans Voices Contributor Anna Yudina is the Director of Marketing Initiatives for The Toy Association™, a not-for-profit trade association that represents toy companies. Currently, she’s spearheading The Genius of Play™, a parent-focused movement raising awareness of play as a crucial part of child development and encouraging families to make time for play daily. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Copy (Opens in new window) Search more like this cognitive skillscommunication skillsgood healthlanguage developmentraise awarenessrole modelsplaychildhoodmaturityinnocencepsychologistadulthoodbondinginitiative Welcome to our Tinybeans family! Be sure to check your email for new activities, recipes and parenting hacks – and to see if you’ve won! Do you have a dog or cat? 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