image retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Play_%28activity%29
It’s time for spring break! What will your kids be doing with their time
away from school? Whether your children
will be traveling or staying at home, the simple opportunity for free play can
be a gift.
Are youth losing time for free play? It seems that young people are more likely to
be in structured, supervised activities.
According to Melman, over the past 20 years, youth have faced a 25%
decrease in playtime and 50% decrease in outdoor activities. Less free time and leisure activities and
overscheduling may lead to increased anxiety and stress. That does not mean we want to entirely give up
structured activities, but discern how much is too much and work to create
balance.
While we may be pushing for academic achievement and other
structured activities, a play break could help out in our endeavors more than we
realize. Play is cited as an integral part
of child development, helping increase cognitive and academic success, building
social skills and self-esteem, fostering
emotional strength, helping youth explore the natural world and more. If we take a play break, we actually
boost our learning. So, while a week’s
break is great, how can we add breaks and free time into our regular schedules?
May you allow space for free time and play during spring
break and beyond.
For more thoughts on the benefits of
play, see here:
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