Unlike most children who must be told to stop playing, some intellectually gifted children see play as a waste of time and must be actively encouraged to do it. For them, play is not an intuitive activity but a learned skill that must be intentionally developed.

Far from being a passive distraction, video games can be powerful tools for development. Adam Grant cites a large body of evidence showing that gaming actively teaches grit, resilience, self-control, and collaboration as players grapple with failure and work with others to achieve goals.

Instead of just talking about difficult situations like bullying, proactively simulate them. A parent can playfully "heckle" their child on a basketball court to practice emotional regulation skills like walking away and using self-talk, building resilience before a real crisis occurs.

To maximize brain-changing benefits, prioritize play with novel, non-linear movements (e.g., dance) or games requiring multiple cognitive roles (e.g., chess). These activities uniquely engage the vestibular system and prefrontal cortex, opening the most powerful portals for neuroplasticity and learning.

Scott Galloway frames his parental role as being his kids' 'prefrontal cortex'—their developing executive function. He proactively connects short-term sacrifices, like studying for an hour, to long-term rewards, like a good grade days later. This actively builds the mental muscle for delayed gratification in an economy that pushes for instant rewards.

The famous marshmallow test is often cited for predicting life outcomes. However, its most important and overlooked finding is that children can be taught strategies (like looking away) to improve their ability to delay gratification, proving self-control is a learnable skill, not a fixed trait.

Former CIA officers advise teaching kids the "Get Off the X" concept, where 'X' is any dangerous situation. Crucially, children should visualize and mentally prepare their reactions beforehand. This pre-planning helps override the common and dangerous tendency for people to freeze in chaotic, high-stress emergencies.

For the first 7-8 years, intentionally avoid turning a child's play into a performance (e.g., ballet school for a toddler who likes to dance). This focus on pure play, rather than regimented achievement, protects their natural development and connection to their body.

Unlike organized activities with fixed rules, unstructured play forces children to invent, negotiate, and adapt rules themselves. This teaches them that rules are not sacrosanct but are mutable agreements created to facilitate fun and fairness for the group.