Has child’s play become a thing of the past? 40% of elementary schools in the United States are eliminating or reducing recess. These figures, as stated by the National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education and the American Academy of Pediatrics, point to an alarming trend in which children may be limited from full developmental assets associated with play due to hurried lifestyles, changes in family structure, and increased attention to academics and enrichment activities at the expense of recess or free child-centered play.
Many school districts have responded to the No Child Left Behind Act by reducing time committed to recess, physical education, and the creative arts in an effort to focus on reading and mathematics.
Recess contributes significantly to the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development of young children. Skills learned in the classroom setting are practiced every day on the playground. The physical benefits of playground interaction speak for themselves. A healthier body leads to better learning development and social skills.
Here are just a few of the benefits of “playtime” for children:
- Healthy brain development and reduced anxiety and stress levels.
- Social interaction with peers outside the classroom involving cooperation, sharing, problem solving and conflict resolution.
- Gains self-discipline, responsibility, and self-acceptance
- Intellectual (cognitive) gains because physical activity fuels the brain with a better blood supply
- Improves attention and minimizes disruptive behavior by releasing energy and reduces boredom
- Builds active, healthy bodies
- Improved memory skills
Reduced time for physical activity contributes to a sedentary learning style. This learning style effects both attention span and behavioral problems in the classroom. Recent surveys have discovered that 40% of our young children have significant cardiac risk factors including obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol due to an inactive life style. The US Agricultural Department reported that a record 10 million American children-one in five are overweight!
Parents and professional organizations including educators and community associations are influential in making changes in school policies. Article 31 of the United Nations Convention on Children’s Rights states, “Recess is the right of every child. Every child has the right to leisure time. Eliminating recess, whether as a disciplinary measure or abolishing it in the name of work, infringes on that right.” It is imperative that parents act now to support their children’s right for leisure time.
Quality physical education along with daily recess are necessary components of the school curriculum that enable students to develop physical competence, health-related fitness, self responsibility, and enjoyment of physical activity so that they can be physically active for a lifetime.
Unstructured Play vs. Structured Play
Today, many parents, with good intentions, enroll their children in many extra curricular activities, sports leagues, lessons and camps. These activities are what researchers call structured activities.
Peter Smith, professor of psychology at Goldsmiths College, in a report entitled Trouble with 21st Century Kids says, “Some structuring of play can be helpful now and then to get children going or help children who have difficulty playing. But this should not go too far. Regimented play activities can have negative consequences on the social and emotional development of a child because they are too organized and take away a child’s initiative and freedom of choice.”
Many children are stripped of their natural creativity by structured activities and hi-tech toys. The more structured the play, the more children’s self-talk declines. Through imaginative play and self-talk, children learn to self-discipline. For some children, a hurried lifestyle is a source of stress and anxiety and it may even contribute to depression. Adults in families whose children are highly scheduled may also suffer. They sacrifice their downtime and quality time alone with their children.
The Dreaded “I’m Bored” Statements
Parents often react to “I’m bored!” statements from their children by enrolling them in extra curricular activities. Instead the opposite should take place. When the child expresses boredom, it is a sign that the child is in need of more unstructured play. Children need “down time” and time to be alone. These are the occasions when children’s imagination and creativity take hold; children can experience the full benefits of play.
Television and Computer/Video Games
Another problem occurs often with the decrease in free play; children are passively entertained through television or computer/video games. Over stimulation of some parts of the brain due to excessive use of computer games and television watching may contribute to attention, listening, and visual skill problems.
“Old fashioned” games, such as Monopoly, Scrabble, Taboo, Candyland, Chutes and Ladders, bike riding, playing with Play-Doh or building blocks are far better for children’s learning than “smart” toys and DVD’s. These “smart” toys fail to teach children to play imaginatively. Colors, costumes, paint, and balls all help to develop crucial lifelong skills such as problem-solving and perseverance.
It seems that in the rush to give children every advantage-to protect them, to stimulate them, to enrich them-our culture has unwittingly compromised one of the activities that helps children the most-free play. Researchers have proven that play is not wasted time!
Since our society has become increasingly complex, there still remains the need for every child to have unstructured free play where they can dream and make-believe to their heart’s content.
