PlayIsTheWork.com

Time to get down to business. As most of you know who read this blog, my husband and I started a company a little over a year ago called, Braincandy. While Braincandy sponsors “playisthework” the purpose of this blog is not to engage in marketing for Braincandy but rather to continue the conversation that many of us as parents have at dinner parties, when we drop off our kids at school or at camp, and generally with each other.

In the spirit of that commitment (but to deviate just a little) I wanted to share with you some data from a study that Braincandy commissioned and was just released. The study is called, the “Kids’ Media Report Card” and the findings are quite interesting. Without getting too much into the methodology and questionnaire I will share with you that there appears to be a huge discrepancy between the types of programming that parents want for their kids and the programs actually available to a viewing audience of very young children. The two key bullets that underscore why we started Braincandy are:

-60 percent of Canadian and U.S. parents rely on television and videos to provide educational content for their children.
-90 percent of parents recognize the importance of thinking critically to solve problems in their adult lives, but only 25 percent feel that children’s entertainment focuses on helping kids develop those skills.

So what does this really mean? It demonstrates the fact that critical thinking skills which allow you to analyze a situation and figure out a solution trump memorizing facts in order to pass the test. That understanding how the world works rather than just “having the right answer” is important and that parents of young children want them to develop those skills and think it’s essential in helping them to be fully realized adults. But most of all it demonstrated that there is a need for content that focuses on helping children think independently, creatively and critically.

Additional findings from the Kids Media Report Card Survey:

-So why watch? ­– Despite reservations about programming, parents still need time to themselves; 76 percent say they use TV and videos to occupy or entertain their young ones.
-Toddlers’ Pastime – Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of children under five-years-old watch an hour or more of television each day.
-Under Pressure – Two-thirds of parents (64 percent) feel that most early education activities, toys and games overemphasize “right” answers at the expense of creative thinking.

Here is a link to the full study on the Braincandy website.

We all are trying to do the right thing as parents. We all want to raise healthy, smart children who can and will succeed in the world. But I believe that raising children in today’s highly competitive culture also means that we sometimes miss some of the great growth opportunities in just “playing” with our children. Not drilling them to learn their ABC’s or to be reading by the age of 4 but by helping them understand themselves and how they are intimately connected to the world. This is what lays the foundation for cognitive, social and emotional development.

For those of you who know Johnny and I you know that our intention with Braincandy is to create products that foster this type of anti-hype, low stress type of learning. If you believe in what we’re doing, please spread the word. And in the meantime, try to remember to “worry less and play more” our kids only have one chance to be kids so let’s honor that opportunity and honor them.

Posted on July 20th, 2005 by Sam
Filed under: Uncategorized, Read This!, Research