# The benefits of play in child brain development

- Institution: TED
- Department: TED-Ed
- Speaker: Jesse Ilhardt
- Year: 2025
- Level: For everyone
- Language: English
- Subjects: Psychology and the brain, Teaching and learning
- Source: [TED](https://www.ted.com/talks/jesse_ilhardt_the_benefits_of_play_in_child_brain_development)
- Licence: [CC BY-NC-ND 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) (Non-commercial use only, and no changed versions.)
- Who can watch: Teens profiles and older (sources give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the source's own words)

A little bit of playtime can have big benefits for a child's developing brain, but adult participation is a crucial ingredient for best results. Early-education leader Jesse Ilhardt makes the case for you to put down the phone, pick up the make-believe tea cup (or that blanket-superhero cape) and take the time to experiment with imagination during kids' most formative learning years. \[Directed by Sinan Göksel, Studio Big Box, music by Salil Bhayani, cAMP Studio\].

## Lectures

1. [The benefits of play in child brain development](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/ted/jesse_ilhardt_the_benefits_of_play_in_child_brain_development/f4e7a2f43033), 5 min (TED's player)