Key takeaways from the 2024 Ikea Play Report

How important is play?

Pretty darn important.

So much so that Ikea has published four large-scale research reports on the impact of play over the last 15 years — with the latest just released.

This report is expansive, and I encourage you to give it an in-depth read.

You can also review the reports from 2010, 2015, and 2017.

For the 2024 study, the researchers:

• Spoke to 7,000 parents and children from the U.S., Germany, France, China, Japan, Poland, and India.

• Conducted 36 home visits in the US, China, and Germany.

• Consulted with 8 global experts.

Here are some of my key takeaways from the 2024 report.👇

Playfulness is a mindset 

The concept of playfulness extends far beyond spending time on the playground or with some anatomically problematic Barbie dolls.

It’s a way of thinking and living.

Playfulness calls us to explore, experiment, create, communicate, and connect.

Playfulness prepares kids for an uncertain future

Here are two rather shocking statistics that the report shared:

• 60% of future jobs haven’t been developed yet.

• 40% of children in preschool today will need to be self-employed to have an income as adults.

Now more than ever, kids need to access their creativity and learn how to be nimble.

Kids are stressed

Across 15 years of research, kids are more stressed than they’ve ever been — and play is the ticket to improving their mental health.

In the wake of the pandemic, one of the primary things kids are concerned about is simply “what’s outside?”.

That’s unbelievably sad, but also means that it’s important to prioritize play in the place where kids feel most comfortable — at home.

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Many thanks to Prequel’s AI Product Developer, Amin Bashi, for drawing my attention to this report!