HealthWatch: New Study Implores Parents To Get Their Kids Outside And Play More

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The next time you take your child to the doctor, you might come away with an unusual prescription, even if your child is perfectly healthy.

Your pediatrician may tell your child to play more often.

It's what we all used to do much more when we were kids. Go out and play, or play inside when the weather was lousy.

These days, children are spending much more time on electronic screens and less time in plain old play. It turns out out playtime is essential for healthy development and learning.

Four-year-old Britton Taunton-Rigby recently got her yearly checkup. After her exam, her pediatrician wrote a prescription for something he said is important. It read "play every day."

"Some people say play is a waste of time. Well, it's not a waste of time," said Dr. Michael Yogman of Mount Auburn Hospital.

A new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends all pediatricians do the same, tell parents and peers that play is a critical part of healthy development, fundamental for learning life skills and reducing stress.

"Play is really brain building because it has all kinds of effects on brain structure and function," said Yogman, the lead author of the study. "Executive function skills, learning to persist on a task, learning to solve problems, of learning to be flexible about how they are learning things. It's how we learn, not what we learn."

Yogman's report shows playtime has decreased significantly over the past 15 years, while screen time has increased. About 30 percent of kindergarten children don't go out for recess.

"There is a whole section of our report that talks about the importance of play in preschool settings, and how important it is to find a balance of playful learning with the more traditional curriculum," Yogman said.

Play can also strengthen the relationship between parent and child, something a mother of four says it is important for her family.

"We do a lot of outdoor play and at home we have lots of duplos and trains and trucks," Taunton-Rigby said.

When asked what his favorite things to play with are at home or school, Britton suggested an old-school favorite.

"Blocks," he said.

Embracing all the learning that happens when you're having fun.

Researchers say there are many things parents can do to encourage play. They recommend getting kids outside more to explore nature as well as introducing them to music and dance and art. You might also think about limiting screen time.