The Power of Play: Learning What Comes Naturally Kindle Edition

This book has definitely altered my views on child rearing. These days everyone is so obsessed with academic achievements they forget about having a life. As a results kids are missing out on fun and parents are getting stressed. This book is about finding a good balance.I highly recommend to anyone who wants their kids to be happy.

Excellent. Enjoyed David Elkind's writing style. The book is filled with interesting, thought provoking information. The chapter on computer stuff is a bit dated but the outcomes for children are still valid.

usefull for my childcare studies, thanks

This was a disappointing book and did not do justice to the topic. It was lacking in depth and the few vague claims and assertions that were made by the author were not supported by facts but were anecdotal from his own experiences. He is pro computer programs for preschoolers ("computer programs at this age can be both educational and fun"), and only "the programs should be age-appropriate and the child should not spend much time on them". (Common sense). In the next section, computer games for school-age children, his research constitutes buying a handful of games, playing them himself, and speculating about the educational value of them. His lengthy descriptions of the games themselves were much more detailed than the actual advice given in his book. Despite his soft stance on screen time for young children, he generally praises all things old-fashioned and hearkens back to the good-old-days as superior to present day, instead of looking at the individual merits of old versus new toys and past times.There are so many great books out there about parenting and play that are better researched, better written, and more enlightening. A few recommendations:- Playful Parenting or The Art of Roughhousing by Lawrence J. Cohen- Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne (making room for real play instead of scheduled activities, the power of fewer toys, etc)- Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv (importance of free-form, imaginative play in nature)

There are so many good books on this topic that engage teachers and parents on the theory and practice. This is not one of those. I felt like Elkind was preaching but not in a way I could get behind. All the research is there but it felt vague. Not the book to read when you already believe in play and trying to go to the next level.

Follows the ETM (Education For Music) standards very closely. As “Q” from Star Trek said, “Play is the thing” (that brings true cognitive learning).

It's a good book, reading it for a child psychology class. It's a pretty easy read but Elkind somewhat can't decide his opinions on certain things but its very insightful!

Very interesting. Passed it on to my grandson at 12 yrs old and he learned a lot from it.