Wellbeing Insights

I was lucky to grow up in the 80s. It was probably the last decade where kids had the sort of freedom that I had.  With every decade since, research shows that children have become more restricted, more structured, and less able to play and explore in their neighbourhoods away from adults.  It’s well documented that the amount of time available to kids for free play is declining.

Many children find their afternoons and weekends filled with structured activities such as organised sport and extracurricular activities, leaving little time for unstructured play.

The focus on academic achievement and structured learning means that most of our kids’ time is spent either in school, doing homework, or engaging in other adult-directed activities, dramatically limiting the time available for free play.  The problem with reducing play time is that play is a direct source of happiness for our children.  Studies show that kids prefer outdoor play with friends to screen based activities, and outdoor play is consistently ranked by parents as the activity that makes their kids the happiest – if we can get them to do it!  What exactly is it about play that has such a big impact on wellbeing?

Play satisfies all of our basic psychological needs.  By definition, play is self-directed.  Play is the vehicle through which kids build skills.  Play is how children make friends.  As parents, how can we give our children the freedom to play?

1. Srengthen autonomy – allow our kids more choice in how they spend their time. Cutback on structured extracurriculars to enable them more time for free play.  Move away from adult-directed activities to unsupervised play (as developmentally appropriate).

2. Build competence – set up the environment with equipment for open ended play.  Open ended toys build competence because there is no right way to use them, and the materials can be modified to meet the level of play that your child is ready for.

3. Relatedness – build a community of people your kid can play with easily.   Things like introducing your family to other families in the neighbourhood is a great start.  Giving our kids an idyllic childhood with freedom to play and explore isn’t just good for them now. It helps them build the resilience they need for healthy adulthood too.

AUTHOR:  Dr Justin Coulson

Dr Justin Coulson is a dad to 6 daughters and grandfather to 1 granddaughter.   He is the parenting expert and co-host of Channel Nine’s Parental Guidance, and heand his wife host Australia’s #1 podcast for parents and family:   The Happy FamiliesPodcast.   He has written 9 books about families.