The Power of Play: Playtime’s Impact on Early Childhood Mental Health

In this episode, we explore how playtime impacts young children’s learning, development, and mental health and well-being. We also learn about play therapy - what it is, when it may be helpful, and how it can help children and caregivers heal. We are joined by a mother-daughter duo, Becky Wolozin, senior attorney at the National Center for Youth Law and her mom, Dr. Danielle Murstein, child and adolescent psychiatrist. Becky is dedicated to enhancing the rights of children and youth, and is the mother of two and an advocate for child development through play. Dr. Murstein specializes in play therapy, treatment of children on the Autism Spectrum, and early childhood interventions. Highlights: 2:59- Unpacking the concept of play 4:28- Understanding “pruning” in children with trauma 9:22- Deep dive into play therapy 31:42- A mother-daughter Q&A on play 37:23- Learning through failure Interested in sharing your motherhood story or suggesting a topic? Reach out to us at [email protected]. We'd love to hear from you. This episode is brought to you by the National Center for Youth Law, with support from the Resilience Effect initiative by Genentech, a Roche Group member.