Say NO to all work and no play!

More than five million adults are so busy, stressed or distracted they haven’t played a single game in the past twelve months, according to Nintendo’s Play Report. The report, the largest ever UK study of its kind quizzed more than 11,000 adults about their game playing habits. The findings showed that almost four in ten UK adults believe they need more play in their lives but say the demands of life make it difficult for them to make time. The over 55s, considered to have the most free time, are surprisingly the most underplayed. One in four claims not to have a played a single game in the last twelve months.

We are the underplayed generation, where play takes a back seat in people’s lives. Nintendo are urging us all to make time for play! "Play isn’t just for parents and children," said Honey Langcaster-James, the consultant psychologist who designed and wrote the Nintendo Play Report. "It’s good for all of us. Given our stressful lives it's more important than ever that British adults find ways to relax, unwind and have fun."

Play is also a really important feature for family life, as the old saying goes: 'a family that plays together stays together’ and this was confirmed in the report findings. Nine in ten parents believe that play is crucial for family bonding and almost three in four parents believe play helps children learn and improve their confidence. The extended family and importantly grandparents should take time to play with their grandchildren, as it is a great way of learning their strengths and what makes them happy. Children love nothing more than other people taking an interest in their interests and allowing them to take the lead in showing others what to do to take part.

Playing on the Wii is a great way of evening out the playing field, so to speak, as people with different physical abilities are allowed to compete and play at the same level. Grandparents can overtake the grandkids on sports on Wii but with party games such as Wii Party having so many (80) mini-games within it, there is something for everyone to excel at. Play is not all about competition and most Nintendo games offer elements of multi-play cooperation. Cooperative play and working as a team is something that can be tapped by playing together and this is something that can be particularly important for siblings.

The report found that the most frequently played games are console and handheld computer games, followed by card games, mobile phone games and games played on social networking sites. Whichever is your pick (or if you fancy trying something new) get out there and get playing!

Other pages from Nintendo

• Win a Nintendo 3DS and three great games on Gransnet.
• Find out all about Nintendo Wii, Nintendo 3DS and a world of games.