Benefits of Unstructured Play for Children’s Development

Play is so much more than just having fun. Children need play. Play helps children develop their minds, creativity, muscles and social skills. It helps children be more active, express their emotions and build relationships. The benefits of play are so important that the United Nations has recognized it as a basic human right of every child.

Making Quality Unstructured Play a Priority

Unfortunately, our increasingly busy lifestyles make it hard to carve out playtime for children. While trying to boost academic performance, schools may limit or eliminate recess. Parents juggle work and the demands of home and family. Children are often involved in structured sports, classes and activities that leave little free time for open-ended play. Even children’s toys and games are often so structured that they don’t stimulate children’s imaginations and playfulness. Below are some tips for making sure your child is getting some quality playtime.

Carve out playtime: Take a close look at the activities in your child’s schedule. Does your child enjoy them all? Can you eliminate one to make time for free play? If that isn’t an option, try giving your child a little bit of unstructured playtime before homework or after dinner. That unstructured time may help your child not only have fun but release energy and stress so that homework or bedtime go more smoothly.

Play with your child: This may be the hardest tip to follow when you have a million emails to answer, dinner to make, and homework to check, but playing with your child is a wonderful bonding experience and shows that play is important. Being in charge of playing when a grown-up is involved is a powerful boost of a child’s self-esteem. Chances are it will be a fun stress-reliever for you, too.

Here are additional tips to keep in mind:

• If you choose to let your child watch TV or videos, review these guidelines by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Have a strategy for managing use.
• Put your focus on your kids and try to stay off your phone when playing or during meals.
• When you don’t have time to actively play with your child, you should encourage free play or play with another adult nearby. For instance, you can give your child nesting cups to play with on the floor near you while you fix dinner.
• Despite the begging you may face, avoid putting a TV in your child’s bedroom. TV before bedtime can cause poor sleep habits and irregular sleep schedules, which can lead to mood, behavior and learning problems.
• If your child has a phone or tablet, make sure that they charge it outside of the bedroom overnight and avoid screentime within one hour of bedtime.

Keep Play Unstructured

Unstructured play is important for brain development in the preschool years. It bolsters imagination, teaches decision-making skills and logic, relieves stress, and improves self-confidence.

Choose toys that encourage creativity:  Educational toys are great for teaching letters and numbers or working on problem solving skills, but to get the full benefits of play, children need access to open-ended toys and materials. Things like building blocks, dolls, and clay allow children to really use their imagination and express their personality. Even household items can become play materials with a little encouragement — a towel can be a superhero cape, and plastic containers can become drums.

Encourage without directing: Children who are used to structured activities may have trouble coming up with play ideas at first. Suggest a few choices of things to play with to get your child started but try to let your child direct the play. For some children, it may be helpful to keep a “What can I do when I’m bored list” in a common area in the home. Ask questions! This encourages curiosity in your child. “What other treasures can you find in the yard?” or “What else could you make with the blocks?” to keep the play going. Remember that free play isn’t about following rules or doing things perfectly. It’s a way for children to express themselves and experience the world.

Here are additional ideas for free play:

• Stack blocks or mix sand and water.
• Make a fort out of pillows and blankets.
• Read or act out stories.
• Play with mixing spoons, cardboard boxes, pots and pans.
• Play with your child. Help build the fort, have a tea party, play house.
• Go outdoors. Nature encourages physical play. Go to a playground, show your child bugs and flowers, or go for a walk in the woods or around the block.

Indoor Play Ideas for Not-So-Nice Days

When it’s raining or snowing, the weather may force you and your child indoors. Here are some creative and safe ways to keep your child’s imagination and body active, even when they are stuck inside.

Plan an indoor scavenger hunt. Allow your child to come up with common household items that you can both search for. Take turns creating scavenger hunt lists. Make sure that any dangerous items, such as kitchen utensils and household cleaning supplies and chemicals, aren’t accessible to your child.

Dance or exercise. There are many dance and exercise videos made especially for children. These are great ways for your child to remain active even when they can’t play outside. Make sure your dance floor is free from tripping hazards.

Create a puppet show. This is a great way for your child to use their imagination and practice motor skills by actually making the puppets for the puppet show. Some supplies for making puppets are simple household items such as cardboard, paper towel rolls, scissors, crayons, tape and glue. Dedicate a small “puppet box” that you can pull out for a quick activity. Collect things like glitter, beads, buttons and socks for the puppet box. Supervise your child when using scissors or sewing materials.

Build a fort. Building a fort is a way for your child to remain physically active even when playing indoors. You can encourage your child to use old sheets, pillows and blankets for fort building materials. Once the fort is built, help your child to come up with a creative game centered around the fort.

Guest Blogger: Deanna Richmond, MD, Pediatrician, Children’s Medical Center, South County Pediatrics

Related: Can Your Family Go Screen Free?