A new study published today by Mattel’s Global Consumer Insights team has revealed that 37% of kids and families aren’t playing enough in their daily lives because they feel too busy (51%), too lonely (38%) or too unsafe (34%) to dedicate time to play-driven activities or hobbies. 

But interestingly, many of the 33,000 kids and adults Mattel surveyed in the US, Brazil, Germany, Finland, China, Japan and South Africa said they agree that play can be a powerful force for improving health and wellbeing (81%), mitigating isolation (87%) and bridging social differences (79%). 

Mattel’s report, titled The Shape of Play, shows that aspects of play resonate differently from country to country, with Americans experiencing the most awe and achievement, Chinese people playing for wellbeing and relaxation, and Germans focusing on fantasy and imagination. 

According to the company’s field work, while 94% of respondents agree that play is for people of all ages, their time for it decreases as they grow up. During the preschool years, 86% of parents said their children play multiple times per day, but this figure decreases by nearly 20% through each subsequent age bracket, from middle-graders (65%), to tweens/teens (41%), to young adults (22%). 

Digital gaming is the most common play activity for people ages six to 60. In the US, zero- to eight-year-olds spend an average of 23 minutes playing digital games each day, and this figure balloons to three hours by the time they reach their tween years. In moderation, digital gaming can help kids develop problem-solving and fine motor skills, but too much of this activity can have a harmful effect on social skill development and exercise levels, and it can also stimulate addictive behaviors. In response, Mattel recommends that families strive for a healthy balance between digital and physical play to harness the benefits of both. 

The company’s research team also found that 40% of people prefer to play in 10- to 30-minute increments as a way to de-stress and experience more happiness. For kids, these micro-moments of joy can take many shapes, from playing on their phone while in line at the grocery store, to shooting laundry into the hamper like it’s a basketball.