Self-motivated practice of life skills during unstructured, unsupervised free time. Can’t we just call it playing outside anymore?
We used to just call it playing outside.
But now with the over-academification and jargonization of parenting & education, we can all feel better about ourselves by calling it the very official and smart-sounding ‘self-motivated practice of life skills during unstructured, unsupervised free time.’
I think we should just stick with calling it playing outside.
Spending time Wandering & Wondering.
Here are 7 reasons why
1. Appreciation of nature. So much of our world is changing, and not for the better. If a child grows up never walking in the woods, digging in the soil, seeing animals in their habitat, climbing a mountain, playing in a stream, or staring at the endless horizon of an ocean, they may never really understand what there is to be lost. The future of our planet depends on our children; they need to learn to appreciate it.
2. Sunshine. We need sun exposure to make vitamin D, a vitamin that plays a crucial role in many body processes, from bone development to our immune system as well as in healthy sleep — and in our mood. Our bodies work best when they get some sunshine every day.
3. Exercise. Children should be active every day, and getting outside to play is one way to be sure that happens.
4. Creativity & Executive function. These are the skills that help us plan, prioritize, troubleshoot, negotiate, and multitask; they are crucial for our success. Kids need time alone and with other children, and to be allowed to create their own games, figure things out, and amuse themselves.
5. Taking risks, testing their limits & expanding their comfort zones. Children need to take some risks, test their limits and expand their comfort zone. Kids are meant to fall down and get scraped up. Kids are meant to find the edge of their abilities and push through them to discover new abilities. As parents, this makes us anxious; we want our children to be safe. But if we keep them in bubbles and never let them take any risks, they won’t know what they can do — and they may not have the confidence and bravery to face life’s inevitable risks.
6. Socialization & Negotiation Skills. Children need to learn how to work together. They need to learn to make friends, how to share and cooperate, how to treat other people, and how to negotiate when disagreements arise. If they only interact in very structured settings, such as school or sports teams, or adult-supervised play time they can’t learn everything they need to know.
7. Boredom. When children are bored and responsible for entertaining themselves without screens or adults present, they develop new ways to do that. They learn to tolerate uncertainty, exercise creativity, communicate with others, and negotiate conflict.
As parents and teachers, if we can let go of our fears and just let kids be kids they will become naturally curious, they’ve run around and explore, and they’ll become resilient. To me, that seems to be the whole point of education.
Let them roam.
Let them play.
Let them be bored.
Let them spend hours wandering and wondering.
And while you’re at it, do it yourself because you need it too!
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