The National Institute for Play is a nonprofit corporation whose mission is to raise awareness of the benefits of play to public life. It promotes research on the subject of play and seeks to expand the scientific knowledge of human play. The National Institute for Play aims to provide resources for society so that every member can take advantage of the boons offered by play.
The nonprofit was founded by Dr. Stuart Brown. His first foray into the impact of play was through the study of a group of homicidal young males. He discovered that active play is integral in the accomplishments of those individuals who are very successful. He also identified negative consequences that come from those with a play-deprived life.
Jason Smith, Co-Founder of Click-A-Brick lauds the Institute’s efforts. “It’s such a noble effort,” Smith said. “Not only that but it’s vital. I mean think about it. If we take away children’s time to play, we’re taking away their creativity, their imagination. What are we reducing them to? It’s no wonder the results of his studies are so shocking. At Click-A-Brick we are advocates for play. It’s seeped into every toy design, every line we put together. The National Institute for Play is doing very important work and I hope they continue doing it.”
Dr. Stuart Brown interviewed thousands of people in order to capture their play profiles. He found that the available research was lacking. From that point on he turned his research towards animals in order to gain insights into how and why humans play.
Through the support of the National Geographic Society and Jane Goodall he was able to observe animals at play in their natural habitats. This research taught him that it could be an evolved behavior designed to ensure the well being and survival of animals. He came to understand that humans are uniquely designed by nature to enjoy and participate in play throughout their life.
The Co-Founder of Click-A-Brick, Georg de Gorostiza, commends the dedication of Dr. Stuart Brown. “He’s devoted his entire life to this,” de Gorostiza said. “Play is such an important subject. It’s not something to be taken lightly. I believe it’s an integral part of the human experience. If we deprive children of opportunities to play, I think we’re basically depriving them of their humanity. There’s nothing purer than watching a child at play. At Click-A-Brick, our greatest satisfaction comes from seeing children of all ages play with our toy lines.”
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