We live in a very busy time. It seems like there is always something on our schedules. We want our children to have every advantage to excel in the classroom, in a sport, or music and drama, so we sign them up for teams, lessons, and extra practice. While the structure of those activities can be beneficial, we need to be sure to save some time for unstructured play.
Free play is best when there are no preset rules or guidelines, except treating others fairly. It gives our kids time to explore, create, and discover what they might really enjoy or what they are really good at. Free play helps to develop some essential skills to be successful in school and life.
When children have unstructured time, their creativity can develop. If we are always 'coloring inside the lines', we will never discover what we could do with a blank piece of paper. It can be difficult at first, but keep encouraging them and assuring them that they can make the choice. Free time also helps them to develop problem solving skills. Everyone is faced with many decisions everyday. Most of us don't give many of those choices much thought, we can quickly weigh pros and cons and decide what is best. Problem solving skills are important in everyday life, school, and in our jobs. Another advantage is that free time helps to develop social skills. Children learn to communicate their thoughts and feelings, and they learn what is acceptable to others. They will probably make some mistakes, but you can help them figure out how to smooth those blunders over.
Give your child a chance to develop these skills while they are young and you are there to guide them. This summer, schedule some time for your children to play with friends and family, letting them make some choices and decisions on their own.
Free play is best when there are no preset rules or guidelines, except treating others fairly. It gives our kids time to explore, create, and discover what they might really enjoy or what they are really good at. Free play helps to develop some essential skills to be successful in school and life.
When children have unstructured time, their creativity can develop. If we are always 'coloring inside the lines', we will never discover what we could do with a blank piece of paper. It can be difficult at first, but keep encouraging them and assuring them that they can make the choice. Free time also helps them to develop problem solving skills. Everyone is faced with many decisions everyday. Most of us don't give many of those choices much thought, we can quickly weigh pros and cons and decide what is best. Problem solving skills are important in everyday life, school, and in our jobs. Another advantage is that free time helps to develop social skills. Children learn to communicate their thoughts and feelings, and they learn what is acceptable to others. They will probably make some mistakes, but you can help them figure out how to smooth those blunders over.
Give your child a chance to develop these skills while they are young and you are there to guide them. This summer, schedule some time for your children to play with friends and family, letting them make some choices and decisions on their own.