Unplug and Play The Ultimate Illustrated Guide to Roughhousing with Your Kids

Learn how rough-and-tumble play can nurture relationships, lead to closer connections, encourage resilience, and boost confidence in kids—with 45 illustrated activities to get you started.

Every kid needs horseplay! Roughhousing is an essential part of childhood development—but it is increasingly overshadowed by screens and structured activities. In Unplug and Play, a doctor and a child psychologist, both dads, introduce parents to the benefits of physical play for young children.
 
Drawing from gymnastics, martial arts, ballet, team sports, and even animal behavior, the authors present fun full-contact  activities for parents and children to enjoy together, including:

• Human Cannonball
• Magic Carpet Ride
• Steamroller
• Jousting
• Raucous Pillow Fight
• And more!

With activities for everyone from toddlers to kids ages 12 and up, you’ll build a foundation for a lifetime of enriching physical play.

Previously published as The Art of Roughhousing, this updated edition incorporates new child development research and addresses the changing role of screen time.

Anthony T. DeBenedet, M.D., is a board-certified physician in internal medicine and an incredibly active and adventurous father. An avid athlete, he enjoys basketball, running, hiking, and golf. He lives with his wife and three young daughters in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Lawrence J. Cohen, PH.D., is a licensed psychologist specializing in children’s play and play therapy. His book Playful Parenting is in its eleventh printing. His writing has also appeared in the Boston Globe, professional journals, and a host of national parenting magazines. He lives with his wife and two teenage children in Brookline, Massachusetts.