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By Andrea Delbanco
Editor in Chief, TIME for Kids

Instead of reading another note from me, I hope you’ll take the time to read a piece about the long-lasting benefits of childhood play. It was written by Corey Keyes, a sociologist and professor emeritus at Emory University whose book Languishing was published last month.

The article posits that play is protective for all kids, but especially for those born into unhappy or abusive conditions. Keyes draws on personal experience: “I think back to my own childhood; when the violence and abuse started, I think I stopped playing entirely until I managed to escape that home. For me, as for so many other children, school was no place for play, either. Once I lost the sense of safety to play at home, I had no other outlets for it.”

Spoiler alert! In his words, “Giving children some self-direction and allowing them to play in an enriched environment made a world of difference in interrupting the cycle of poverty.” Read the whole story: “How Play Can Increase Resilience.”

Reach out to me anytime at andrea@time.com.

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