AP Corner

Imagine the following scene: It’s the second or third week of summer and a seven or eight year old child is sitting on the couch. “I’m bored,” he or she says. This was the summer refrain my parents had to listen to all summer long from me and my sisters. Sound familiar? For those of you who have children, this is the sound of children during unstructured, unplanned time.

Why do children consider unstructured time as being bored? In our current world, where children (and even adults) have access to technology twenty-four seven, children have never learned the skills or had the time to learn how to become un-bored. Because they always have access to television, phones, tablets or computers all the time, they have never (or to be honest, rarely) had the opportunity to use their thinking and their creativity to become un-bored.

How can we help? Well, the best way for children to learn how to become un-bored on their own is through unstructured play. Play teaches children so many different and important skills, from collaboration to graceful winning and losing to creative thinking. Play is a powerful tool!

February 6, 2019 is the Global Day of Play. One thing we can do is sign up and agree to create times in the day devoted to play. Why not go outside during recess and join our kids in free play? Or during math, offer a variety of math games kids can play. There are so many ways to incorporate play into the day. Check out the website for the Global Day of Play: https://www.globalschoolplayday.com/?fbclid=IwAR01nEb2vNb5IA6__IDi7eZu1BbFctW3iE8pMtEch-DQASg2IZ0n8gclIik

Want to learn more about the importance of play and the decline of play? Check out these incredible TED talks: https://www.ted.com/talks/stuart_brown_says_play_is_more_than_fun_it_s_vital https://ed.ted.com/on/bt6AeE9S