Every waking moment, billions of neurons bustle across the highways of our brains, choreographing the body's thoughts, movements and communications. Newborns come into the world with 100 billion neurons and develop over one million new neural connections every second during their first years of life as they begin to experiment with the world around them — rolling in the dirt, sticking nearly everything in their mouths and observing how the power of their cries can manipulate the adults around them.
Through these experiences, children start to develop patterns that have implications for their adult lives. An infant learns that in most cases, crying will get their caregiver's attention. They start to reach for sweets instead of sand when they want a snack and learn to talk so that they can better communicate their needs. Over time, the brain develops patterns that help its executive functioning operate more efficiently — but research shows that breaking those cycles and entering a state of play can have just as many beneficial impacts, helping children improvise and respond creatively to new experiences as they grow up.
