If you’ve ever watched a kid at play, you’ve probably seen a happy kid.

Maybe you’ve watched children at your local park building forts out of sticks, or on the basketball court going for layups and pretending to be their favorite Timberwolves player.

Maybe you’ve seen your own child lost in focus on a Lego creation or playing restaurant with dolls and stuffed animals.

Knowing how to find happiness in play is important for all ages.

But play does a lot more than bring joy. Unstructured play, the kind that children get up to on their own without a lot of adult guidance, turns out to be one of the best ways to learn.

And, there is concern that this kind of open-ended play is on the decline with the rise of screen time and structured activities.

MPR News guest host Chris Farrell talked about the importance of play and how to encourage it for the children in our lives.

Guests:

Jodie Riek is an associate professor in early childhood development in the College of Education and Human Service Professions at the University of Minnesota Duluth. She trains teachers on how to use play in the classroom to help children learn and has been an early childhood and elementary school teacher, and a childcare center director.

Mike Huber is director of curriculum at Rise Early Learning Center in St. Louis Park. He’s also the author of several books including “Embracing Rough and Tumble Play” and “The Power in Pretend.” He co-hosts the podcast “Teaching with the Body in Mind” and is on the boards of the American Association for a Child’s Right to Play and Play Lab Foundation.

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Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.