The Case for Well-Played Kids
by Meredith Sinclair View Bio
Meredith is a former elementary school teacher with a master’s in education who turned her expertise to improving people’s lives by spreading the gospel of play. She is a blogger and a regular Family Lifestyle contributor to the Today Show and Fox and Friends, and is a columnist for Chicago Parent magazine. Meredith speaks at social media conferences, parenting groups and companies about the power of PLAY in our everyday lives. Meredith's first book “Well Played” was published by Harper Collins in June 2016. She lives with her husband Jon and her two sons Maxwell and Truman, on Chicago’s North Shore.
- Experimental, self-directed play is the way children most naturally learn about themselves and the world around them. Play is always their first mode of operation to solve a problem, explore unchartered territory, discover their abilities, test their boundaries, develop new skills, and make connections with others.
- Structured, adult-led activities and classes are certainly beneficial for kids, but children also long for and thrive on healthy doses of time to playfully construct all on their own.
- By being champions of open, discovery based playtime ourselves, and recognizing child-led play as the miraculous, developmentally appropriate, and truly ‘academic” tool that it is we can maximize the benefits of open-ended play.
Have you ever observed a child fully and deeply engrossed in play…the kind of play that drenches them in imaginative, joy-producing glitter from top to bottom? If so, then you know all about the magic of pure, un-ADULT-erated PLAY.
As a former preschool and elementary school teacher, and mother of two boys I have observed a whole lot of this kind of playtime. I’ve witnessed play’s magical brain boosting, spirit lifting powers again and again and again. I know all its tricks.
Experimental, self-directed play is the way children most naturally learn about themselves and the world around them. Play is always their first mode of operation to solve a problem, explore unchartered territory, discover their abilities, test their boundaries, develop new skills, and make connections with others.
As the grown ups in our children’s lives, we facilitate this kind of playful learning and development best, when we are able to recognize and appreciate the magic that lies beneath free play’s seemingly frivolous exterior.
Structured, adult-led activities and classes are certainly beneficial for kids, but children also long for and thrive on healthy doses of time to playfully construct all on their own. And research shows, its really good for them on so many levels.
But unlike a violin concerto performed perfectly after months of practice, or the mastery of a spelling list that ends with a star at the top on the paper, the developmental benefits or “prizes” of play, are embedded seamlessly into play’s façade of good clean fun.
“Enter into Children’s play and you will find the place where their minds, hearts, and souls meet.” - Virginia Axline, Play Therapist
The Genius of Play movement encourages more creative playtime for all children, and helps highlight play’s big developmental benefits. When your child is lost in the land of make-believe, building the next Lego empire, or confidently exploring a new playground, they are simultaneously doing big important things like improving their cognitive skills, honing communication skills, increasing creativity, processing and expressing emotions, developing physical skills, and enhancing social skills. Big, important things indeed! All built into the stuff they love to do most.
Not only is the lack of kid-directed playtime short-changing our children’s innate desire to learn through play, it also comes with some pretty shady side effects. Nasty things like increased anxiety, stress levels, and depression. A recent article in the American Journal of Play outlines how the lack of play in children’s lives is affecting their emotional development and leading to various issues including problems with attention, problem solving, self awareness, and self control. Peter Gray, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology at Boston College says that “we have not only taken away the joy of free play, we have replaced it with emotional stressful activities”.
Many parents believe they are doing the best for their children by providing a constant flow of adult led activities, limiting the amount of "wasted” time their kids have on a daily basis. But plenty of research shows that by limiting the time children have to learn and explore through self-directed play, may be hindering their development on many levels. It turns out that happy, healthy, well-developed children are often the ones who are also very well played.
So how do we maximize the benefits of open-ended play and infuse it into our childrens’ vey busy, academically driven, digitally led, lives?
By being champions of open, discovery based playtime ourselves, and recognizing child-led play as the miraculous, developmentally appropriate, and truly ‘academic” tool that it is. Prioritizing, encouraging and facilitating more time for play within our kids’ lives creates a built-n breeding ground for social, emotional, physical, and mental growth and development. Yep, play makes kids smarter, healthier, and more engaged with the world around them. Plus it’s also super FUN!