Good, old-fashioned play just what American kids need

What children really need for healthy development is more good, old-fashioned playtime, a U.S. academy report says.

BEIJING, Oct. 9 (Xinhuanet) -- Time for imaginative free play is slipping away from American kids and what they really need for healthy development is more good, old-fashioned playtime, a new report released on Monday says.

The report by the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests pediatricians add "stress checks" to children's exams to ensure that overbooking of enrichment activities isn't hurting their physical or mental health.

Many parents load their children's schedules with get-smart videos, enrichment activities and lots of classes in a bid to help them excel, and spontaneous, free play often is sacrificed in the shuffle, according to the report.

Children need blocks, dolls, books, physical play and, at all ages, "downtime," says report author Kenneth Ginsburg, a pediatrician of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

"A lot of pediatricians are seeing stress in children with this kind of schedule. It's not true for all kids, but it is a serious problem," Ginsburg says.

Numerous studies have shown that unstructured play has many benefits. It can help children become creative, discover their own passions, develop problem-solving skills, relate to others and adjust to school settings, according to the academy report.

Parents should be urged to tailor activities to their child's temperament rather than keep up with the Joneses' kid, the report adds.