Throughout the animal kingdom, one can find examples of playful activities – particularly during development. Play is enjoyable in part because it is optional, and is not directed towards any particular goal. Nonetheless, play appears to confer important benefits by fueling learning and strengthening social bonds. Indeed, play may play a more central role in cognitive and physical development than is usually appreciated.
The lab is embarking on a collaboration with Bill Ritchie and Charlotte Fixler of ThinkFun, makers of numerous reasoning games.
Professor Bunge also draws on her scientific background to design games for preschoolers in close collaboration with Drs. Bill Jenkins and Logan de Ley at Scientific Learning Corporation. The first game in our new KinderSpark series is Eddy’s Number Party.
The lab will soon begin conducting research on the benefits of play in collaboration with Frontiers of Innovation at select sites in the state of Washington.