UK mums champion creative play despite academic pressure

Parents are more than aware of the increasing pressure put on children to achieve academically, especially from an early age. However, a report by toy giant Playmobil, reveals modern mums are remaining resilient and will focus on nurturing their child through creative play in 2011.

A report* by toy giant Playmobil, released at leading toy industry event, Toy Fair, showed over a quarter of mums with children under the age of 10 believe children today are academically challenged at too young an age. Like their generation, mums want children to be encouraged to use their imagination during play - be it through make belief, role play or being introduced to fantasy worlds.

Play can encourage a child’s development in numerous ways: intellectually, emotionally, socially and creatively. Often the focus on growing our children’s minds intellectually, can lead to other forms of development receiving less attention. But things are set to change. 50% of the mums polled argue it is more important for a child to be creative than academic at a young age. As such, 75% of mums will be opting for creative, interactive play above computer games and educational toys.

“Children love learning and discovering new things and there’s no better way to captivate them than during playtime,” comments Jamie Dickinson, Marketing Manager for Playmobil, UK. “What stands out from this survey is that modern mums are championing age-old traditional play that exercises the imagination, stimulates their minds and involves the whole family.”

*Independent research of 1000 mums of children aged 10 or under conducted by Opinion Matters on behalf of Playmobil UK.