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Children who "play like boys" in preschool show better spatial abilities a decade later

Children who "play like boys" in preschool show better spatial abilities a decade later
health10/6/2025

A new 10-year study finds that preschool children who engage in masculine-typical play develop stronger spatial skills by adolescence. This long-term association was found in both boys and girls, suggesting early play experiences have a lasting impact on cognition.

An analysis of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children data found that children with masculine-typical play styles at 3.5 years of age tend to perform better in a mental rotation task when they are 13 years old, regardless of their sex. T... [4015 chars]