Parent Webinar 9 – The Importance of Play – Session for All parents and staff
Recent advances in technology have opened the doors to seemingly endless possibilities for how we spend our free time. However, these many opportunities often come with a high price tag. Our children may appear to have more opportunities for living and learning than ever before, but
they have also become more disengaged, demotivated and disenchanted with life. This talk suggests that this youth mental health crisis can, at least in part, be explained by our reliance on increasingly passive ways to be entertained. Children have so many opportunities to submerge themselves in a technological world,they are losing the ability to engage in self-directed play. Play is vital for social, personal and academic development.
It is time we returned to the age-old understanding that sometimes the best preparation for tomorrow, is to learn to engage with today.
Dr. Helen Street is the co-creator and chair of the internationally acclaimed Positive Schools Initiative. The Positive Schools Initiative incorporates The Positive Schools Conference Series and The Positive Times. Founded in 2009 in Western Australia, The Positive Schools Conference Series has become Australia’s most prestigious mental health and wellbeing conference series for educators.