Play & Learn Animation Movie by Kids Establishes Role of Playtime and Good Nutrition for a Smarter Child

• Active play and good nutrition are the foundation for supporting a child’s physical, social, and emotional development which in turn boosts their cognitive development.
• Play & Learn campaign raises awareness on the importance of active play among parents while empowering children to explore their creativity and imagination through the Play & Learn animation movie.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 11 September 2020 – Playtime is a crucial yet often undervalued component of a child’s learning and cognitive development. It allows children to harness their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, physical, cognitive, and emotional strength. Recognising this, Similac® Gain Plus Gold/Gain Kid Gold and Similac® Intelli-Pro introduced its Play & Learn campaign with the aim of driving awareness amongst Malaysian parents on the cognitive benefits of incorporating playtime for their growing children.

“As a child grows, they need a conducive and stimulating environment that balances their overall growth. There is a pressing need to include active playtime in this mix to support a child’s learning and cognitive development. Malaysian parents and caregivers who tend to take a more traditional approach to learning should take a step back and understand that there are more ways to helping children learn than through books alone,” said Mr Prakash Ravindran, clinical psychologist, Oasis Place.

THE POWER OF PLAY AND NUTRITION

Studies have shown that during a child’s formative years, allowing them the freedom to learn and interact with others during play is extremely beneficial. Active play stimulates a child’s imagination, encourages creative thinking and nurtures problem-solving skills. Playtime with other children also teaches them how to better interact with their peers while promoting good behaviours such as learning to share, taking turns, and how to respond appropriately to positive and negative emotions.

Playtime is also an opportunity for parents to fully engage with their children and take an active hands-on approach to their growth and learning. It is during playtime, that parents are given a peek into the world from a child’s vantage point. Spending this time together regularly can strengthen the emotional bond between parent and child, and foster healthy relationships.

“Many parents may feel like they don’t have the energy after a long day at work to play with their children. However, playtime can be incorporated in creative ways. Reading to your child at night while taking turns to act out characters or doing puzzles together to stimulate thinking and learning are some simple ways to incorporate play in a working parent’s busy schedule,” added Mr Prakash.

While incorporating play time is important to promote growth and cognition, nutrition should not be overlooked. “Brain development in the first two years of life are extremely dynamic and rapid and nutrients provide the building blocks to promote higher cognitive functions including memory, perception, and emotion. It is important for parents to ensure their children receive the key cognitive building nutrients such as DHA, ARA, and boosting ingredients such as 2’-FL, a prebiotic that supports the development of a strong body defense system, to support their child’s needs,” said Dr Nina Mazera Mohd Said, medical director, Abbott’s nutrition business in Malaysia.

ORIGINAL MALAYSIAN MOVIE BY KIDS

Abbott’s Similac® Gain Plus Gold/Gain Kid Gold and Similac® Intelli-Pro are backed by 100 years of scientific heritage and have been a trusted nutrition partner for Malaysian parents and children. In June this year, Similac® Gain Plus Gold/Gain Kid Gold and Similac® Intelli-Pro launched the Play & Learn campaign to highlight how active play and good nutrition supports cognitive development and learning through a fun drawing contest for children. As part of the campaign, children were tasked to draw a character that could potentially be part of the Play & Learn animation movie. Thirty-one characters were selected from these submissions to be part of an original Malaysian movie by kids. The animated movie entitled ‘A Wonderfully Wild Adventure’ is a story of growth, courage, and acceptance, and inculcates the importance of cognition when dealing with obstacles.

“At Abbott, our steadfast commitment has been to support parents in providing the best foundation for their growing child. Through the Play & Learn campaign, we want parents to understand the importance of empowering their child through their creative endeavours and how this supports their overall growth and learning. By incorporating active play and nutrition, which are both critical to a child’s cognitive development, we hope to steer Malaysian parents and children towards a path of life-long learning and future successes,” said Dr Nina.

About Abbott: Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 103,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

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Abbott Media: Sharon Mak | +65 9859 1845
Sharon.mak1@abbott.com

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Desiree Ann | 03-6209 5212 |016-916 8815 (mobile)