healthykids
pediatrics at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Penn- sylvania and a leading expert on resil- ience, remarks, “Every child needs free, unscheduled time to master his or her environment.” Play is valuable because it miniaturizes the world to a manage- able size and primes kids for learning. Consider the complexities involved
They Thrive on Natural, Unstructured Fun by Madeline Levine
Letting Kids Just Be Kids
Well-meaning attempts to fill a child’s summer with enriching activities may do more harm than good. Why not let kids just be kids?
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otions of summer as endless free time—to climb trees, chase fire- flies, build a fort in the woods,
maybe set up a lemonade stand—have been supplanted in many families by pricey summer camps or other highly structured activities. But unstructured play isn’t wasted time; it’s the work of childhood, a vehicle for developing a basic set of life skills. Research published in Early Childhood Research & Practice shows that children that attend play-based rather than academic preschools become better students. Child development expert David
Elkind, Ph.D., author of The Power of Play, maintains, “Play is essential to positive human development.” Various types teach new concepts and con- tribute to skills, including helpful peer relations and ways to deal with stress.
22 NA Twin Cities Edition Self-initiated and self-directed play
Thinking back to our own best childhood memory, it won’t be a class or lesson, but the time we were allowed to just be.
means the child is calling the shots and learning what comes naturally. If a child strums a guitar because he loves it, that’s play. When being instructed, the child may enjoy the experience, but it’s not the same, because the motivation is at least partly external. The American
Academy of Pediat- rics recommends that children play outside as much as possible—for at least 60 minutes a day—yet almost half of America’s youth rou- tinely aren’t getting any time outside, according
to study findings reported in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. Outdoor play helps combat childhood obesity, acquaints them with their larger environment and supports coping skills. Every child is different. But as Dr. Kenneth R. Ginsburg, a professor of
natwincities.com
in a game of chase. Kids develop social skills in organizing and agreeing on rules, and then participate in the physi- cal and creative actions of the actual activity while resolving conflicts or dis- agreements during its course—provid- ing a foundation for excelling in school and even the business world. Solitary play also provides prob-
lem-solving practice. A young girl play- ing with her dolls may try out different ways of handling the situation if one of them “steals” a treat from the dollhouse cookie jar before tea is served. Because youth haven’t yet devel- oped a capacity for abstract thinking, they learn and discover more about themselves mainly by doing. Develop- ing small self-sufficiencies gives kids a sense of power in a world in which they are, in fact, small and powerless. This is why kids love to imagine dragon-slaying scenarios. Taking risks and being suc- cessful in independent play can increase confidence and prepare them to resist peer pressures and stand up to bullying. Given our global challenges,
tomorrow’s adults will need the skills developed by such play—innovation,
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