It's Called PLAY (and our kids aren't doing enough of it)

With the holiday season in full swing, parents are on the prowl for the newest, coolest gadgets that will have their kids drooling long after the wrapping paper has been ripped off. It’s easy to get caught up in the hubbub—it seems as if every tablet, toy and DVD is stamped with some added educational bonus to our kids. As parents, this makes us feel good.  We’re increasingly being told by books and marketing ploys that if we’re not buying all of these shiny, mentally stimulating products, we’re not helping our children excel.

If your kids are anything like my own, however, the packaging often ends up getting played with more than the actual gift. I’ve seen large boxes become space ships and medium-sized boxes turn into race cars. Is it possible that learning can happen without flashy equipment?

When we’re not purchasing the latest and greatest gadgets, we’re hard at work building an extracurricular schedule for our children. There is no limit to the number of activities in which one can enroll. Do you want your child to play soccer? Take music lessons? Join the Girl Scouts? Learn Mandarin? Perhaps you should sign her up for all of it. You’re only trying to create a well-rounded individual, right?

According to a 2007 American Academy of Pediatrics report by Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg, however, “For some children, this hurried lifestyle is a source of stress and anxiety and may even contribute to depression.” It’s difficult to imagine that our efforts to build up our children might actually be tearing them down, but more studies are beginning to emphasize the importance of unstructured play for kids over hectic after school schedules.

What has happened to our children’s free time? A www.Scholastic.com article titled “Make Way for Play” says, “Unfortunately, over the past few years, the value our society places on play has evaporated like a puddle on a hot playground. There are many reasons for this phenomenon: an increased emphasis by schools on academics; the corresponding elimination of recess and physical education; a greater number of organized activities like sports and lessons; the exploding use of computers and TV in kids' lives; and parents' fears that their children will fall behind if they aren't enrolled in extra programs.”

I understand the pressure to raise successful young people. I’ve often felt overwhelmed with the seemingly endless list of programs that I could enroll my toddler in. Even my youngest son, who just turned 1, has a plethora of options ranging from swimming classes to baby yoga. It’s a bit intimidating to pick only one or to steer clear altogether, especially when you feel like every other parent out there is doing it all.

One of the reasons that I love my neighborhood, however, is that I can see how instrumental unstructured play is in our children’s lives. On any given day, I can walk outside with my own little ones and be greeted by groups of kids playing spy games or kickball or riding bikes. These children are all also involved in extracurricular activities, but their parents understand the value of free time. The kids are free to explore and create adventure and socialize with their friends. These are the activities that help our children excel—the ones in which they step back and allow their minds to wander, question and rise to challenge. It might be something as small as finally overcoming the plastic rock wall on a play set or as big as working together to sell lemonade at a sidewalk stand. Just a few weeks ago, a large group of kids in my neighborhood did just that. Some made signs, others made the lemonade and a few rode up and down the street on bicycles vocally advertising the prices.

So now you may be wondering, “How do I encourage play?” The great thing about unstructured play is that it can be as simple as taking everyone out to the backyard. If you have younger children, sandboxes or sand tables are great for getting your child’s creative juices flowing. My 1-year-old will shovel and collect sand into piles for hours. My toddler loves to build sand castles and bury “treasure” for me to find.

Mother of two Anna Bannister says, “We do a lot of sensory play with water, rocks and dirt, which leads to a lot of exploration and creativity. We also do quite a bit of crafts, which not only spur creativity, but problem solving, too.”

Kaleidoscope, located in Crown Center Plaza, is free and is a great place for kids up to age 12 to explore, create and use their imaginations.

For older kids, a bike ride, a short hike, building a birdhouse or other small woodwork project can reignite their love for the outdoors. Crown Center Ice Terrace in Kansas City, MO, is an outdoor ice skating rink that could be just what they need to get some fresh air while socializing with their friends. Geocaching is also gaining popularity among a wide range of ages. It’s basically a real-world treasure hunt. To learn more, visit www.Geocaching.com.

Providing our children structure is important. I’m not saying that extracurricular activities or tablets are terrible. Both can be very educational and enriching. However, at the end of the day, it’s important to find balance and most importantly, have fun!

Jennifer Bosse is a wife and boy mom extraordinaire living in Kansas City. When she's not watching her kids play, she's blogging about it at Defining My Happy.