Colorful trees come to life as a group of kindergartners glue bits of tissue and construction paper onto a drawing of a trunk. They’re engaged in play — but, in this Northwestern University Center for ...

Summer is the perfect time for kids to play with water, even if the season is nearing its end. After all, nothing is better than water play to cool off on hot days. However, you will be surprised to ...

A girl swings across the monkey bars, an invention adopted in the 1920s in Winnetka, IL that encouraged children to follow an ancestral drive to test their physical limitations. Anthropologists at ...

As the school year revs up, a renowned child developmental psychologist highlights the robust benefits of pretend play on cognitive, social, and emotional development in children and cautions how ...

As my kids return to school, I have been reflecting on my own childhood and the Canadian Paediatric Society's recent recommendations around risky play. In a statement, the organization wrote: "Free ...

Babies are curious and seek new information to get familiar with their environment. The first five years are a foundational period during which most of their cognitive development occurs. By blending ...

My husband and I grew up playing outdoors unsupervised and wanted the same for our kids. We've worked with other parents in our neighborhood to create the same environment where we live. It's taken ...

Child therapists and parents are eager to utilize mental health services for children who are struggling with anxiety, depression, social and interpersonal skills, self-esteem, trauma, and major life ...

My preschooler is obsessed with rules—and, more important, exploring their loopholes. When I tell him to stop throwing rocks, he will drop a rock dramatically with a loud thud, assuming plausible ...