Help Your Kids Thrive with Unstructured Play
Think back to your own childhood. Did it involve climbing trees, roaming the neighborhood with friends, building forts in the living room, squishing mud pies and long, lazy summer days with friends? These days, parents have to try harder to find time to let their kids be kids and play without rules. And that’s too bad, because kids NEED unstructured play time. It’s good for their physical, social, mental and emotional development.
From exploring their physicality, to overcoming obstacles, reducing stress, and learning how to take turns, free play is essential to our kids’ healthy development.
Discover 10 ways kids benefit from unstructured play, from Pathways to Wellness:
Confidence
Recovery from setbacks
Overcoming emotional trauma
Personal resilience
Stress relief
Empathy
Self-expression
Discovering interests
Sense of self
Respect for nature
“When children engage in free play with their friends, their cooperation, sharing, helping, and empathy skills grow by the game.”
It’s hard to squeeze one more thing in between sports, music lessons and academics, but your kids are more likely to thrive if you can give them time and space to play on their own. Playgrounds and yards are great for this, but kids can get just as creative indoors.
You may also enjoy Helping Kids Find Balance, to discover other ways to help your kids thrive and keep their bodies healthy and balanced.