Just like eating and sleeping, play is a necessary part of daily life. It helps people of all ages think creatively, solve problems, regulate emotions, and make friends. Play gives people space to explore and to pursue an activity for pleasure with no particular end goal. Yet there’s a misconception that play is a meaningless diversion from more important tasks, which explains why children and adults have such little time to play these days.

To some parents and educators, a child’s time spent learning a second language or pursuing a scholarship sport has an immediate payoff. But children who are all work and no play aren’t just dull; they’re also underdeveloped. The world needs budding musicians and whiz kids, of course. But it also needs young people who are resourceful and can handle life’s ups and downs.