As wonderful as the cherished traditions and programmatic aspects
of a camp may be, what we teach campers may not be the most important
part of their summer experience. The most crucial and unexpected
moments of a summer may be when children are left alone to engage
in free, undirected play. For many campers, the experience of
playing outside “alone” or with a group of friends
may be a truly new and joyful one. The loss of time for free,
undirected play in everyday life is one of the saddest facts
of modern childhood.
As a school consultant, I have watched the growing phenomenon of the over-scheduled
child, particularly in affluent suburbs, and in independent and international
schools. As a camp consultant, I have observed how many campers’ parents
monitor them extremely closely; one might say microscopically. Indeed, Ron Taffel,
a psychologist in New York, reports that much of modern parenting involves meticulous
time management of a child’s packed schedule. This is a source of sadness
for me, and for many people who care about children. Every thoughtful educator
and parent has worried that there is something missing in the lives of today’s
children.
Some conclude that what is missing is play or a work/play balance.
More specifically, though, what is really missing is a certain
kind of play that should exist in childhood: free,
undirected play. We are doing great things for children in many ways, but
we are not leaving them alone enough.
Researchers tell us that over the past two decades, children
in the United States have lost nine to twelve hours of free play
per week. Over the past decade, forty percent of elementary schools
in the U.S. have eliminated recess, leaving children with less
than a twenty-minute break (for lunch) in a six-hour school day.
At school, we have replaced recess time with increased seat time
as preparation for state tests; at home, parents have replaced
free play time with organized sports, art, dance, and, of course,
tutoring.
Free, undirected play used to be valued as a central, indeed,
the defining activity of childhood, for good reason. Jaak Panskeep,
play researcher at Washington State University, calls play the “signature
mammalian behavior.” According to David Elkind it is a
child’s “ . . . inborn disposition for learning,
curiosity, imagination, and fantasy.” In 2007, The American
Academy of Pediatrics issued a report declaring that, “It
is through play that children at a very early age engage and
interact with the world they can master, conquering their fears
while practicing adult roles.” Play makes children creative
and strong; play reassures children that they are okay in the
world.
What happened to play time? A lot of free time has simply disappeared
because American children spend so much time at computer screens
or in the car commuting to school and after-school activities.
Many parents worry about their children’s safety if left
alone to play in the neighborhood. Others feel their children
must be constantly engaged in productive activity to succeed
in a competitive, globalized economy.
But our children are paying the price for the loss of time for
free play. We see it in obesity; high stress levels; rapidly
increasing diagnosis of ADHD, depression, and emotional fragility;
social incompetence; excessive dependence on adults, and the
loss of a relationship with nature. While research indicating
links between loss of free play time and obesity and high stress
might be considered obvious, many researchers also have suggested
that the increase in ADHD is a direct result of reduced play
time. Some researchers believe that children may be missing a
crucial modulator of nerve cell development (BDNF, brain-derived
neurotrophic factor) which is generated by vigorous exercise
and learning.
We don’t need to wait for more research to confirm that
the loss of free, undirected play is a significant problem in
contemporary childhood. Parents, educators, camp counselors,
and childcare workers need to protect the time they give children
to play freely; they need to increase that time if possible.
The most important and unexpected thing we can do for our children — at
home or at camp — is to give them time for free play, time
to confront their own “boredom,” learn how to entertain
themselves with a friend, and organize a game with their peers.
In the end, you can’t teach children to play alone; you
have to let them play alone. Many parents are too frightened
to do so, and schools cannot find the time to do so. It may be
that camp is the place where grown-ups can make nonscheduled
time and free, undirected play a priority. I hope so. Our children’s
imagination, spontaneity, leadership skills, and happiness depend
on it.
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