Free Play
Getting out and partaking in the simple act of playing. What
an idea right?! To us adults, playing is seen as an event that we used to enjoy as young children.
Unfortunately, the light-hearted activities were soon replaced by work, bills,
and other responsibilities. Children of today are most likely spending their
days inside looking at a screen and not outside being active or engaging in
creative free play like we did in our youth. We all play witness to these sedentary,
screen dominated lifestyles and understand that it is an infamous
characteristic of the millennials. To me it is honestly quite startling and
makes we worry about our children’s future.
I still have
a hope for radical change in our children’s lives because of the movement
dedicated solely to bringing the concept of “play” back into the lives of children
and adult. Yes, adults need to play too! While this movement is very honorable
and we nod along in aggreeance while others do the work, very few of us
actually take the steps to change the course of the future generations. 
Over the
course of history, children have always been taught by adults. The adults are
the ones in charge, giving the kids the iPad at dinner to quiet them, while
they wait to be served. Adults are the ones allowing the kids to spend hours
sitting on the couch watching endless TV because it provides peace and quiet.
Yes, there are smart and productive ways to use the advanced technology we have
today to further a child’s learning and cognitive development. There are many
educational programs on TV, several websites, and apps that we can use for
educational purposes. However, nothing is better than getting the hands on,
care free, energetic play time. Yes, true play that encourages learning and
discovery is very messy! There will be clean up involved and loud noises, but
children need these experiences, their body literally craves it. Studies show
that unstructured play leads to greater sense of social and environmental
responsibility, a greater capacity for language, increased creativity and motor
skills, along with many more benefits we just can’t cover briefly. (Check out
Dr. Peter Grey’s TEDtalk about the immense benefits of play. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bg-GEzM7iTk )
The
Adventure Playground in Berkeley, California is making a huge leap in the play
movement by offering a truly “free play” playground with tons of loose parts
that are manipulated by the children. This concept is derived from a study by Lady Marjory Allen. This study is focused around European
children playing in a vacant lot after World War 2. The children displayed more
interest in the parts that they could use freely to their own imaginations than
the materials built for them in nearby parks. Sterility was never meant to
encourage creativity. This type of play includes loose parts for manipulation,
risk taking decisions and inspiring imagination. The idea also incorporates
that play can take place in any vacant area. However adding the extra texture
of nature is sure to enrich the play even more.
So as adults we should be encouraging our children to get outside and
play in the backyard or local parks, to use their imaginations to create worlds
only they can enter. Adults can play too. It is important as adults to be
helpers in the imaginary world. As adults we spend much of our day in the
disciplinary role but when it comes to this play we need to step back and be
amazed by the children’s ideas, this boosts their confidence and even trust in
themselves. See how much they can do without your help, it is also important to
allow your child to fail in order to learn their limits and derive solutions.
And yes, embrace your own inner kid and see how you can help enrich the
experience for your children! You might even see a decrease in resistance at
bed time.
Have you Played Today?
Now that we
have learned of this amazing concept, the real question is how to incorporate this
into our day? Well, it is always good to start small and see where you get.
Boxes, fabric, paints, tape and really anything you can build with are the
ideal tools to start with. Instead of setting the kids up in front of the TV
while waiting for dinner, bring out materials for building. Encourage them to
go outside with neighborhood friends, to use the endless supplies found lying
right in the backyard or nearby park. Then sit back and watch the children come
back to life.
Want to join
the movement and learn more about the importance of play? Join the US Play
Coalition at http://usplaycoalition.org/.
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