Friday, April 8, 2016

Outdoor Play

This week’s article summary is Why Are Schools and Parents Keeping Children Indoors by Sir Kenneth Robinson. Many of you have most likely watched some of his famous TedTalks on changing trends in education.

While the article emphasizes the importance of outdoor free time for children, to me the article’s thesis extends beyond the outdoors to the voice and choice we need to provide for children at home and in the classroom. 

An article summary a few weeks ago suggested that when children have overly strict extrinsic behavioral rules and parameters, they often fail to develop an intrinsic sense of right and wrong and have difficulty making proper decisions when presented with autonomous situations.

To me,  the same holds true when we don’t give kids enough space and latitude to think, create, and imagine for themselves. Free, unstructured play lets kids practice and develop vitally importance life skills like problem-solving, relationship building, and creativity—and so does the same freedom at home and at school. 

In some ways, the most exciting question children can ask an adult is “I’m bored” or “I don’t know how to do this”: it’s an opportunity for us to give children the time (or for kids used to strict extrinsic limits, the permission) to imagine, to experiment, to try, to fail, and ultimately to learn.

I am not an extremist: I don’t  think kids should have complete latitude and choice, yet I (and Sir Kenneth Robinson) worry about the current trend of giving kids less and less free, unstructured time—be it outdoors, at home, or at school.

Joe

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With spring break occurring in schools across the country, parents can use this time wisely to help develop their children’s imagination and social skills – especially by encouraging them to spend more time playing outdoors

Academic research shows that active play is a natural and primary way that children learn.  It is essential to their healthy growth and progress, particularly during periods of rapid brain development.
Allow a child to be free outside with no structure and you will marvel at what they can achieve.  Play helps children learn important social skills, use their imagination, concentrate, and be more self-directed.

Yet, too often play is disregarded as frivolous and pointless. Consequently, there’s a growing, and alarming, tendency to reduce time for active play in children’s lives - both at school and home:
  • Nearly two thirds (62%) of parents believe their children have fewer opportunities to play than they did.
  • A third of children play outside for 30 minutes or less on an average day
  • One in five (18%) children don’t spend any time playing outside on an average day
  • Three quarters of children would rather play virtual sports on a screen than sports in real life
It’s vital that schools protect playtime in the school day, when kids can enjoy less structured, fun playground, and social activities.

Play is not meaningless, nor does it represent an absence of learning.

We have to give active play its proper place in our children’s lives to enrich their development now and to help them grow into successful, well-rounded, and happy adults. We must allow them time to simply enjoy being children.

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