2008-08-21 17:18:02 -
www.hearthsong.com - HearthSong by The Hodges Partnership Jon Newman, 804-788-1414 jnewman@hodgespart.com or Kelly Lobanov, 804-788-1414 klobanov@hodgespart.com Despite near universal acknowledgment that playtime is a vital component of a child's development, 62 percent of parents engage in "active play" with their children for six hours or less per week, or less than an
hour a day on average. Sixteen percent admit that their playtime interaction with their kids averages less than one hour each week.
According to a new survey, commissioned by HearthSong on the occasion of its 25th anniversary as one of America's most trusted children's toy brands, and conducted by IPSOS Public Affairs, a leading, global research company, 99 percent of parents with a child aged 12 and under believe that children's play is important for a variety of reasons, but in a world in which the demands on parents' time are considerable, only 38 percent of parents say they spend at least six hours per week in active play with their kids. One in six parents doesn't even spend an hour a week, averaging fewer than 10 minutes per day in playtime with their sons and daughters.
"Everyone recognizes that for children to be children, they need time to play," said Beverly Fries, an educational play expert at HearthSong, one of the nation's leading catalog toy companies. "Play at any stage of a child's development helps instill a sense of accomplishment, delight and both intellectual and social growth. What is equally important to understand is the opportunities that play provides parents to engage with their children, to praise and encourage them in ways that instill strong and enduring bonds. We at HearthSong have always believed that play is a critical component of a child's learning and development."
Scholarship Sweepstakes
To celebrate the inherent connection between play and learning, and in commemoration of the company's 25th anniversary, HearthSong is sponsoring the HearthSong 25th Anniversary $25,000 Scholarship Sweepstakes. The contest, which runs until the end of December 2008, will award three college scholarships - including a $15,000 grand prize scholarship - as well as 25 other prizes. Winners will be selected at random from among eligible entries. (More details are available at www.hearthsong.com.)
Additional Survey Findings
In other survey results, of those parents who do play with their kids, over one third (36%) say they most often play with games or toys, another quarter (27%) most often participate in unstructured play and a like number (27%) play outside, in either unstructured or structured activities such as sports.
Parents were fairly evenly split on the value of structured play. Forty-four percent of respondents said that structured play such as play groups, school and sports leagues satisfy their child's play requirements, while 56 percent disagreed.
When asked what they believed was the most important aspect of play in contributing to their child's development, more than one in four parents (27%) said "learning to interact with others," while fewer mentioned developing "motor skills" (18%), "problem solving" (17%), "creative thinking" (17%), "imagination" (12%) or a "sense of accomplishment" (9%).
And lastly, despite the growing popularity of electronic toys, such as computer and video games, only 38 percent of respondents indicated that their child spends more time with electronic toys than with other types of play.
"Laughter and engagement in active play is essential to the well being of your child," said Fries. From newborns to pre-teens, active play enhances a child's mental, physical, emotional and social development throughout their life."
About the Survey
These are some of the findings of an IPSOS poll conducted July 17-21, 2008 on behalf of HearthSong. For the survey, a national sample of 1,008 parents of a child aged 12 or under, randomly selected from IPSOS' U.S. online panel, were interviewed online. Quota sampling and weighting were employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the actual U.S. population of parents with a child aged 12 or under according to Census data and to provide results that are intended to approximate a probability sample. An unweighted probability sample of 1,008 respondents, with a 100% response rate, would have an estimated margin of error of +/-3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
About HearthSong
HearthSong has been helping parents provide their children with age-appropriate, wholesome, quality playthings for the past 25 years. Based in Madison, Va., the company, a division of Madison Brands, is a nationally known and respected source for quality children's toys, games and crafts. With the motto of "toys you'll feel good about giving,"(R) HearthSong guarantees that each of the items in its catalogue have been carefully selected for their quality, safety and appropriateness to a child's development. Madison Brands is owned by New York-based 1-800-FLOWERS. For more information, visit HearthSong on the Web at www.hearthsong.com.
HearthSong Giving Away $25,000 in Scholarships as Part of 25th
Year Commemoration
