Recent statistics and news stories seem to indicate that our youth in the United States are still facing a significant crisis in play, a fundamental component for early brain development. This impacts our children’s ability to think and learn. Most alarming are the signs that our kids are challenged with developing critical 21st century skills such as collaboration, creativity, divergent thinking, resilience and empathy that they will need to succeed as adults in today’s economy.
A 2019 survey conducted by the Genius of Play, a nonprofit initiative dedicated to raising awareness of play’s vital role in child development, and Fundamentally Children, a leading source of expert, independent advice on play and child development, revealed that approximately 75% of children under 12 are not getting enough active free play. This deficit grows as children age. While 65% of 1-4 year olds experience of deficit of active free play, the number jumps to 77% among 9-12 year olds. A lack of time was shown to be one of the biggest barriers to active free play for nearly one third of children.
The survey also found that nearly two thirds of 1-4 year olds may be missing out on structured social play, specifically sports games (57%) and board and card games (60%). Key skills emerging during this age range need to be supported with social, physical, and cognitive play to aid in developing these skills. In addition, more than 68% of 5-8 year olds are not getting the recommended amount of pretend play, such as playing with dolls, action figure, vehicles, or playsets. This type of play supports social and emotional development and the ability to empathize.
The 2022 US Report Card on Physical Activity for Children & Youth, administered by the Physical Activity Alliance, indicated that only 21% of children in the nation 6-17 years meet the guideline of 60 minutes of physical activity per day. This means that 79% of children under 17 experience a deficit of daily physical activity. This deficit increases dramatically as children grow. 42% between the ages of 6-11 years meet the guideline, but only 15% ages 12-17 meet the guideline. Surely a direct result is that only 42% of youth 12-15 years have adequate cardiorespiratory fitness levels. In addition, only 10% of children 6-12 years spend time outdoors, an important setting to engage in active play.
A correlated factor contributing to a deficit in play among our children is screen time (TV, computer, mobile devices). A 2019 study by the National Institute of Health, University of Albany, and NY University Langone Medical Center found that an alarming 87% of children 0-8 years have screen time exceeding recommendations from the American Pediatric Academy. The 2020 Common Sense Census: Media Use by Kids Age Zero to Eight breaks down the average screen time by age group:
Birth – 2 years 49 minutes
2 – 4 years 2 hours, 30 minutes
5 – 8 years 3 hours, 5 minutes
The census also found that watching TV and videos accounts for 73% of all screen time, with reading, homework and video chatting accounting for only 5% of screen time. 34% of children 0-8 years watch online videos every day. Perhaps more concerning is the finding that 60% of parents say their child spends the right amount of time on screens, with 72% reporting that the media helps their child’s learning and 60% reporting the media helps their creativity.
How has the deficit in play impacted the academic performance of our children? The 2022 OECD Programme for International Student Assessment reports that globally the USA is in 34th Place in Math, 16th Place in Science, and 9th Place in Reading. The USA result for the Creativity & Innovation category is not reported, since the USA surprisingly has no national standards or policies for this academic category.
The 2022 Report Card by the National Assessment of Educational Progress reported the following for the Math and Reading categories:
MATH – The largest score declines in Math since 1990
4th Grade:
- 36% performed at or above the NAEP proficiency level
- 5% lower than 2019
8th Grade:
- 26% performed at or above the NAEP proficiency level
- 7% lower than 2019
12th Grade:
- 24% performed at or above the NAEP proficiency level
READING
4th Grade:
- 33% performed at or above the NAEP proficiency level
- 2% lower than 2019
8th Grade:
- 31% performed at or above the NAEP proficiency level
- 3% lower than 2019
12th Grade:
- 37% performed at or above the NAEP proficiency level
- 3% lower than 2019
Perhaps most concerning for our children’s development in the US is the state of their mental wellness. The Health and Services Administration reported that between 2016 and 2020, the number of children ages 3-17 years diagnosed with depression grew by 27%. The 2022 National Health Care Quality & Disparities Report by the National Library of Medicine reported that nearly 20% of children ages 3-17 years have a mental, emotional, developmental or behavioral disorder. Among adolescents 12-17 years, the percentage who received mental health services in a specialty mental health setting increased from 11.8% in 2002 to 16.7% in 2019. The percentage of high school students who reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness increased from 26% in 2009 to 37% in 2019. In 2019, 15% of teens had a major depressive episode. Unfortunately 70-80% of children with mental health disorders go without care.
How do these findings correlate with 21st century work skills? The 2022 Employability Report by Cengage Group reports that 65% of employers are struggling to find talent. One of the biggest drivers causing the talent crisis is the skills mismatch between the current workforce and employers’ needs. Only 38% of US adults have a four-year degree. Among traditional degree graduates, only 41% believe a college degree signals that they have the skills needed by their employers. 53% of traditional degree graduates and 49% of non-degree graduates state they had not applied to an entry-level job in their field because they felt underqualified. According to the 2020 Express Employment Professionals/Harris Gallup Poll by Refresh Leadership, 87% of employees say a whole new approach to education, skills training, and learning, or an Education Revolution, is needed to better prepare people for the workforce.
All is not dire! What can we do? Learn Through Play the Discovery Toys Way!