By Linda Yu (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-06-16 10:10

Dr. Nagmeh Rowhani agrees. The pediatrician at Shanghai United Family Hospital says the play center offers children a place to enjoy and explore the world from their own vantage point, which is important for their social development.

"As children explore real-life locations, they learn about their world and are able to master new skills and abilities," says Rowhani. "Through acting out real life situations, they gain a better understanding of their own world, develop their confidence and sense of independence, and are therefore empowered to take on greater challenges."

Through playing, children learn to develop skills and talents, share and cooperate with others, resolve conflict and practice decision-making, according to Rowhani.

"In today's society, the time for play is greatly reduced for some children due to busy family lifestyles, more households in which both parents work, as well as a general preoccupation with academic activities at the expense of playtime," says Rowhani.

"Play centers like Kidtown provide a resource for children and families to develop capacities through structured play."

Playtime is, of course, part of the bigger picture for Chiang and her partners. The group of young Asian-expatriate mothers ultimately hopes that the play center will help change the attitude of the majority of Chinese parents to playtime.

"Chinese parents see play as a waste of time," says Chinese-American Chiang, who moved to Shanghai about three years ago. "We hope to convince them that play is good for their kids."

"We want them to understand that kids learn the most from play," says Kidtown partner Emy Machida. "It's a very new concept in Asia."

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