Children Aren't Able to Play

      As we begin a new school year, I am astonished to see how many of my students are unable to play.  What I'm talking about is the fine motor development necessary to put two pieces of materials together to build something, or to hold a marker or crayon and just color.  Never before, in forty years of teaching have I seen anything like this.

     On the playground, I had to show students how to draw with sidewalk chalk, how to clib the "rock wall," how to pedal a tricycle!  In the classroom, with manipulatives, we have had to sit with a group of children and show them how to use the manipulatives and help them to put them together.  It's confounding! Naturally I had to dig deeper.

     Research has shown that independent free play has diminished significantly in recent decades. The research shows that there are several factors leading to the decrease of play.

• Child characteristics: Due to the changes in society, parents are waiting longer to give children the freedom to independently explore the world around them. Younger children have less off an opportunity to roam and explore. To remedy this, families should regularly take their younger children on outings to the park and other outdoor venues.

         In addition, there is a gender bias when it comes to allowing children the freedom to explore.                  Boys are usually given much more latitude than girls are.

• Parental restrictions:  Parental concerns about safety are oftentimes the reason children are not allowed to roam and play, and rightfully so.  All the more reason that families should afford these same opportunities that they had to their children by taking them on supervised outings. Children would still get some measure of free play, even while under the watchful eye of a family member.                                                                                                                                               
• Neighborhood and physical environment: As cities grow, the need for housing decreases the areas available for age-appropriate play areas for children.                                                                   
• Societal changes: Recent decades have seen a steady erosion of the sense of community that used to provide a network of trust and support among families. It is increasingly common that families don't know their neighbors.  Another change has been what some researchers are calling "good parenting vs bad parenting."  Good parents allegedly constantly monitor the children, while "bad" parents allow their children to roam free.  And finally, there is the changing role of the parents, especially as more mothers enter the workforce. This has resulted in more children  being placed in before and after school care programs, when play is more institutionalized.

Social ecology and community initiatives: Creative solutions are needed to bring back free play. Many adults, and even children, agreed that limiting screen time would aid in the revival of free play. The question is, do families have the will to make these changes?  It's much easier to had your child a device than it is to go outside and teach them how to pedal a tricycle, or to sit down and play a game with them.  We're not talking about what's easy, though. We're talking about what's necessary.  There's a whole generation of kids who don't know how to interact with one another, how to play, how to manipulate toys. It's truly frightening!  Put down those devices and let those kids play!