Let Them Play
"Between test prep, extracurricular activities, heavy course loads, after-school tutoring, and shorter recesses, many of today's overscheduled children rarely have time to play dress-up or a game of kick the can. (dr: kick the plastic bottle?)
But a report published this fall by the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that all of this frenzied enrichment is counterproductive when it squeezes out free time.
'Play is important to healthy brain development,' states the report, which goes on to cite a laundry list of benefits associated with unstructured fun, including enhanced learning, creativity, emotional strength, confidence, resilience, decision making, and ability to work in groups. Play allows children to explore the world around them and discover what they love to do.
Among the factors limiting playtime, the report cites colleges' sky-high admission standards--and parents' perception that their children must cure cancer in order to get in--and the No Child Left Behind Act's call for increased focus on academic basics, which often comes at the expense of recess, the arts, and physical education.
Academics and extracurriculars are important, but enough is enough. Children need time to simply be kids."
Any comments?
(From: Teacher Magazine, January 2007)
posted by D Roller @ 1:27 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
We need more play and less entertainment.
It seems as if there are very few circles in our culture today where the idea that "kids need time to be kids" is embraced. Most often, I believe it is taken out of context to mean something negative. Too many adults were robbed of their childhoods and have no clue how to allow or enhance the childhood their kids so desperatly need! If you are a child that has a pure and innocent childhood as in days past you are a bit of an outsider to most of your peers, and considered anti-social when you don't desire to participate in psuedo adult, culturally accepted activities. And if you are the parents of a playful, imaginative child you are seen as irresponsible and short sighted about your childs future.
The pressure on todays kids is enormous, and the phrase I have heard personally from some Christian leaders is, "you'll have to get out of your holy huddle sooner or later and let your kids face reality." My question to them has always been, "whose reality?"
I want a recess. Where's the study on adults needing play time? Do you think it would read like this: Between prep, extra activities, heavy loads, after work "work", and shorter rests, many of todays overscheduled adults rarely have time...Play is important for healthy brains. Enough is enough. Adults need time to simply be adults.
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