Experts are championing the benefits of childhood play amid a child and adolescent mental health crisis exacerbated by the pandemic.
Developmental psychologists from the University of Sussex have highlighted the social benefits of children having the opportunity to play – especially after two years of restrictions due to Covid-19 – ahead of national Playday on Wednesday.
Professor Robin Banerjee, head of the university’s School of Psychology, was one of a group of UK mental health experts to make headlines in May 2020 when they called on then education secretary Gavin Williamson to prioritise play after the first national lockdown.
He said: “As we continue to navigate the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, much has been said about the need to help children catch up on ‘lost learning’ in relation to academic skills. But we also need to support children’s development in a much broader sense.
