Decreasing play activity for more academics can pose both negative and positive affects on a child’s development. It is important for a child to play because playing is essentially learning. For example, children play to explore how things work. Children also engage in pretend play that allows them to further develop the mind. A child might imitate his father hammering a nail after watching him install a shelf in the garage. This factor will stay with the child and is a learned behavior that you hammer nails into wood or objects to keep them together. Children also learn from other children by playing and interacting with one another. A child can learn from the children he or she plays with and gain an understanding of differences and other cultures based on their interactions with the other children. Their language skills and social skills improve which are needed to function in society. Even if a child plays with an older sibling he/she might learn more by observing and interacting with their sibling. By reducing play time and focusing more on academics a child can miss critical parts of development. If play is taken away too early and more focus is placed on academics it can hinder a child from growing to their full potential.