"Parents may be denying their children the opportunity to achieve balance and happiness in years to come," says Dr. Michael Cohen, President of Applied Research & Consulting, the company that recently conducted an academic and clinical study on play for ATI.

The discovery that play is essential comes at a time when play is being systematically neglected. "Our society is in a time of rapid change and our children may be unintended victims of overwhelming stress and rising expectations," says Terri Bartlett, spokesperson for ATI.

In a just released survey, parents at best, have mixed emotions about the role of play in their children's lives.

In an effort to combat the lack of play in the lives of America's kids, play takes center stage in a brand new series of public service announcements featuring famous female astronaut Sally Ride that began appearing in print, radio and television nationwide on December 26.

Under the umbrella theme The Power of Play, the five-year initiative of the non-profit American Toy Institute, Inc., the PSA and other program elements are designed to create awareness about the importance of play and to encourage incorporating play into the lives of children and adults. Crossing ethnic, national and generation lines, the PSAs emphasize play as a natural means of developing imagination, cooperation, problem solving, creativity and self-confidence, and highlight the findings that play, like affection, is something that children -- and adults -- must be exposed to regularly in order to mature normally.

In addition to the PSA campaign, The Power of Play program also consists of a national survey on play, three one-hour prime time TV shows planned to air on PBS, initiatives with the U.S. Department of Education and a wealth of outreach activities with national and regional coalitions in business and community sectors.

For more information visit the ATI Power of Play website.

[Updated 1-04-2000]