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Dr Amir Khan has urged parents to start doing one simple thing to boost the health of both themselves and their children. The NHS GP was listing five simple things that people often overlook that benefits their health.

One of these was playing - and not just for children. Dr Khan, who also appears regularly on daytime television programmes discussing our health, said: "I think we've become so obsessed with finding the next miracle supplement or newest wellness trend that we've forgotten some of the most powerful things for our health have been sitting in front of us all along. So today, I'm writing out five forgotten prescriptions that I think we should all be taking a lot more seriously. And the best bit is, they're completely free.

"Now, the first one is play, and I don't just mean for children, I mean for adults too. When was the last time you did anything just because it was fun? Climbed a tree, paddled in a stream, flew a kite, played tig with your kids or grandkids?

"Play is how we move our bodies without even thinking about exercise. It boosts creativity, reduces stress, strengthens relationships and gets us outside. The really sad thing is that today's children spend far less time playing outside than previous generations, and I honestly think we're all a little bit poorer for it."

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• My second prescription is reading. Not scrolling, reading. Whether it's fiction, history, nature or a good autobiography, reading exercises your brain in a way that very little else does. It improves concentration, memory and even empathy, because, for a little while, you're seeing the world through someone else's eyes. Your brain absolutely loves it!
• Prescription number three, I've said this before, is handwriting. I know, we type everything these days, but writing something down by hand makes your brain work differently. It helps you remember information better, process your thoughts more deeply and slows your mind down. Write a journal, send a postcard, write a shopping list, scribble ideas on paper. It doesn't have to be something beautiful, it just has to be handwritten.
• Number four is one I think we've quietly lost over the years, and that is proper conversations. Not texting, not firing off a voice note while you're going to the station, but actually sitting down with someone over a cup of tea and having a proper, uninterrupted conversation. Laughing, listening, telling stories. Human connection isn't just nice to have, it's one of the strongest predictors of good physical and mental health that we know of.
• And finally, my fifth one: making something with your hands. Whether it's baking, knitting, painting, mending your clothes, build something, cook a meal from scratch. We've become incredibly good at consuming things, but we've forgotten how satisfying it is to create them. There's something deeply calming about using your hands to make something that didn't exist before.

We all know that play is good for children. The NHS says that it is vital for a child's development and wellbeing, and it is a great way for them to exercise. They learn how to interact with their surroundings, find their interests and learn about the world around them, while playing with moving objects can help children pay attention, understand and use language better.

But studies also show how good play is for adults. One 2013 study of 255 adults showed that 'adult playfulness demonstrated robust positive relations with life satisfaction and an inclination to enjoyable activities and an active way of life. There were also minor positive relations with physical fitness. Leading an active way of life partially mediated the relation between playfulness and life satisfaction. The study provides further evidence on the contribution of adult playfulness to different aspects of wellbeing'.

Play - whether it is with your romantic partner, friends, co-workers, pets, and children - can add joy to life, relieve stress, supercharge learning, and connect you to others and the world around you. Play can also make work more productive and pleasurable.