The document discusses the importance of play for young children's development and learning in 3 key points: 1) Recent research shows that children have lost 8 hours per week of free play time in the last two decades due to an increased focus on academics in kindergarten. This has negative impacts on children's social, emotional, and academic development. 2) Developmentally appropriate practice with playful learning leads to better social skills, emotional regulation, motivation for school, and academic outcomes like improved reading and math compared to more traditional academic direct instruction models. 3) Play is essential for building the skills needed for the 21st century like collaboration, communication, creative problem solving, and confidence according to studies. Balancing