According to observations by, pediatric occupational therapist and child development expert, Cris Rowan, “Movement and play are essential not only for child development and learning, but for survival.” The inherent risks of young children who are overusing technology is widely unrecognized and has been largely ignored. As a result, children have become increasingly subject to both, physiological and psychological developmental deficiencies. Occupational therapists, have found that there are four elements, which are essential for the proper overall development of children: touch, movement, human connection, and nature. These elements are increasingly absent in the lives of children today. One in three children now enter school developmentally delayed, one in four are obese, one in six have a diagnosed mental illness, and one in ten are addicted to video games and/or pornography. Child aggression and sexual violence is problematic, resulting in some countries restricting access to video games and pornography. Hence, the importance of play in children’s lives. Play and physical activity, enhances all aspects of the child’s development and promotes a more balanced lifestyle. Stuart Brown, author of “Play – How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul”,reports that the opposite of play is depression, and that parent: child attachment and trust is established through play. Going outside to play can reverse the effects of technology overuse in children and their families. If you are interested in more information about helping your children to unplug, you can read, Ten steps to successfully unplug children from technology by, Author Cris Rowan For more information about Gaga Ball and other physical activities children love, contact Octopit USA at 248-752-8165 or click on the links here on this page.