PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Yogman, Michael AU - Garner, Andrew AU - Hutchinson, Jeffrey AU - Hirsh-Pasek, Kathy AU - Golinkoff, Roberta Michnick AU - , AU - , TI - The Power of Play: A Pediatric Role in Enhancing Development in Young Children AID - 10.1542/peds.2018-2058 DP - 2018 Sep 01 TA - Pediatrics PG - e20182058 VI - 142 IP - 3 4099 - http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/142/3/e20182058.short 4100 - http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/142/3/e20182058.full SO - Pediatrics2018 Sep 01; 142 AB - Children need to develop a variety of skill sets to optimize their development and manage toxic stress. Research demonstrates that developmentally appropriate play with parents and peers is a singular opportunity to promote the social-emotional, cognitive, language, and self-regulation skills that build executive function and a prosocial brain. Furthermore, play supports the formation of the safe, stable, and nurturing relationships with all caregivers that children need to thrive.Play is not frivolous: it enhances brain structure and function and promotes executive function (ie, the process of learning, rather than the content), which allow us to pursue goals and ignore distractions.When play and safe, stable, nurturing relationships are missing in a child’s life, toxic stress can disrupt the development of executive function and the learning of prosocial behavior; in the presence of childhood adversity, play becomes even more important. The mutual joy and shared communication and attunement (harmonious serve and return interactions) that parents and children can experience during play regulate the body’s stress response. This clinical report provides pediatric providers with the information they need to promote the benefits of play and and to write a prescription for play at well visits to complement reach out and read. At a time when early childhood programs are pressured to add more didactic components and less playful learning, pediatricians can play an important role in emphasizing the role of a balanced curriculum that includes the importance of playful learning for the promotion of healthy child development.