Freedom to Play

Children today are being exposed to more technology than ever before and faring better on it than their parents. But, it seems that many are engaging in less free play time than their parents. Is all of this advanced technology exposure truly advantageous to our young ones’ minds or is it somewhat detrimental to their young bodies?

As many of us know, children should get at least one hour of exercise per day. As they grow older, this can diminish due to extracurricular activities that are intended to enrich their minds. In fact, extracurricular activities can also enrich their physical wellbeing. Yet, children are sometime spending up to 5 hours or more per day on interactive activities that are media-driven. So how do we ensure that our children get the exercise they need on a daily basis?

Just give your child some downtime each and every day, allowing him or her to have some free play time and decompress. This will help them to use their creativity, solve problems, and practice social skills. This will also prevent them from becoming stressed from a lack of unstructured play.

We must keep in mind that children come into this world ready to play. We must allow them the freedom to engage in free play time. It is human nature and part of their survival instinct. To replace it with too much structured play is to stamp out their natural instinct and much of the joy that comprises their childhood.