Let Kids Be Kids With Unstructured Playtime

Unlocking The Hidden Benefits Of Free Play

Remember those days when you could go cycling with your friends around the neighbourhood any time of the day?

Or climb the mango trees in your grandparents’ backyard in the hot afternoons? Or go playing in the park till late in the evenings?

No protective gear, no big brand clothing, no adult supervision.

It was total freedom. There was no structure or time limit or movement restrictions.

Now this whole idea of keeping your children engaged ‘productively’ the whole day is squashing their personal growth.

Dance classes, music classes, sports coaching, art camps, personality development — name it and parents are enrolling their children for half a dozen classes, keeping them busy after school.

Where’s the time for them to develop their own personality, and figure out what they like or enjoy?

All that structure and regulation is inhibiting them from exploring their world.

They need some time to be on their own, maybe even get bored, to figure out things for themselves.

9 ways unstructured play time helps in child development.

1. Stimulates cognitive growth by encouraging them to think differently. Be it a new game or making new friends or just resolving an argument or fight. This out-of-the-box thinking fosters intellectual growth.

2. Enhances creativity by supporting creative thinking and imagination. Remember those silly games you created and which kept evolving with each minute? Totally miss them.

3. Develops problem-solving skills. Your aim was to keep the parents away so you would come up with solutions for any problems that cropped up. There was hardly anything you couldn’t cope with. Let your children try that now.

4. Improves social skills when they get to meet other children on their own rather than being introduced by the adults around. No prompts for good manners or etiquette from anyone. Just reaching out one-to-one.

5. Builds physical health with all that running around, sweating and dirt-streaked. It also develops a healthy appetite thereafter. So, no more fussing about the food.

6. Teaches to be independent. Being on their own teaches them to manage things by themselves, be it a conflict or crisis. This develops a sense of autonomy and self-regulation for the child.

7. Reduces stress and mental health issues. Beyond the serotonin-oxytocin talks, it’s a perfect outlet for all that stored-up energy. Playing with friends, and being around others, releases any stress. Where was the time for mental health issues when it was time for you to be outdoors with your friends?

8. Promotes adaptability and resilience by facing challenges by themselves. The many failed attempts or disappointments motivated you to keep trying. If not this, then will try something else. Joining some expensive course or class was not the go-to solution.

9. A fun way to strengthen the parent-child bond. Don’t tell me you’ve never been invited to a tea party with the dolls or made a tent with bed sheets or played some silly, ingenious games with your children? Such play times build the bonds you share, strengthening them with a zillion happy memories.

In your attempt to hone their every skill, you’re restricting their lives to a packed routine with various classes and activities. They’ll surely learn different things but not be engaged enough to excel in any of them.

Jack of all trades, master of none.

Do you want that?

Or would you rather nurture them and focus on developing their personality? Give them a breather from their rigid routines. Let them figure out their interests, what they want to learn. Provide them the opportunities, without the baggage of expectations.

Children learn as they play. Most importantly in play, children learn how to learn. — Fred Donaldson

Let them just enjoy their childhood.

Hey, I’m Gomati Sekhar Ghosh, a writer, blogger and lots more.

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