rules and understandings. Children benefit when they’re but there are always lessons learned. In some of the
able to manage their own behaviors based on their school where increased free play has been introduced
convictions, when they can make a plan and follow it with fewer rules and the attitude of “safe enough,”
through. When they can try and fail and try again to the children earlier seen as bullies have emerged as
accomplish a task. All of these skills can only be practiced leaders. Why? Because they’ve been successful in more
when kids have the chance to engage in unstructured active, hands-on play and have been given the chance to
play free of adult supervision and oversight. It may be expend pent-up energy in all-out activity.
hard to break the pattern of over-managing our kids’
lives, but it’s vital that we do so.
8. Improved Mental Health
7. Improved Social Skills
and Interaction The rise in mental health problems amongst kids as
If you’ve ever watched a group of kids play a game of that used to be taught in first grade must now be
softball you might see more arguing about the rules than mastered in kindergarten. The results are children with a
actual play. But what you’re seeing is social skills in the too hurried and too stressful world. There will always be
making. Older kids will make the rules and try to enforce expectations in the learning world, but for those children
them. Quieter kids will be given chances to play (or not) who enjoy more free time, more authentic outdoor fun
and bossy kids will try to run the show. In the middle and more opportunity to run and play, the better they’ll
of the chaos, children will learn how the world of rules feel about themselves and their life. We give our children
works and they’ll play a little ball too. When children are a great gift when we encourage and champion free play
free of adult supervision, they build leadership skills and in the great out of doors.
young as pre-school is a testament to our over-managed,
over-tested and earlier to learn environment. The skills
learn to work as a community. Is it pretty? Not always,
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