Regular time outdoors can influence your grades, according to a new research reported in the New York Times (The 3 R's? A Fourth Is Crucial, Too: Recess; February 23, 2009).

Given the way our brains are wired, spending time outdoors, especially in nature, helps to improve concentration.

Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder also scored better in attention and concentration tests when they played in nature.

Dr. Brown, a psychiatrist and founder of the National Institute for Play, said play is "a fundamental biological process." "From my viewpoint, it's a major public health issue," he said in the New York Times article. "Teachers feel like they're under huge pressures to get academic excellence to the exclusion of having much fun in the classroom. But playful learning leads to better academic success than the skills-and-drills approach."

And in an interesting study for Singapore policy makers losing sleep over our nation’s low fertility rate, young rats denied play time weren’t able to mate.

Message to parents – better go easy on those enrichment and tuition classes if you ever hope to see grandchildren.

All work and no play makes Jack childless.