Genius of Play Shines Spotlight on Cognitive Benefits of Play

August 18, 2016 | As the school year kicks into gear, The Genius of Play is encouraging parents, caregivers and children to engage in cognitive play activities to help build important developmental skills and increase their knowledge of the world around them.

Through the end of September, The Genius of Play campaign will offer insight into the cognitive benefits of play with a new animated video demonstrating play’s impact on children’s critical thinking abilities. A new expert video will also showcase how playing games can help improve attention span, reasoning, judgment, and problem-solving skills. Toy industry stakeholders are encouraged to share the videos with fans, followers, family and friends.

Within the next few weeks, new expert advice articles and cognitive play ideas, which will help families incorporate more play into their daily lives, will be added to www.TheGeniusofPlay.org and shared on social media. 

“Cognitive skills are developed through the use of toys and games that promote recognition, exploration, and curiosity,” said Anna Yudina, TIA director of marketing.  “Examples include puzzles, memory and strategy games, building blocks and more. These toys help children build their critical thinking skills and encourage them to solve problems creatively.”

A new sweepstakes, “The ___ of Play”, will also launch on Facebook and the The Genius of Play website, offering families a chance to win $250 worth of toys. To enter, contestants must share one word that they feel describes the biggest benefit of play.

For more information on The Genius of Play, visit www.TheGeniusofPlay.org.