Let Them Play

In a world full of schedules and routines, children need time when they can just play. Unstructured playtime is an important part of development and it is our job as adults to provide space and time for our children to do so. Giving children time to play and explore without parameters is just as important as feeding them healthy meals. For kids, playtime is fun but it is also a creative outlet, can build communication skills, and help develop meaningful milestones.

I’ve worked at summer camps since I was 15 years old. For the past nine years, I’ve run Mandala Summer Camp with my coworker, Leah Farleo. Together, we’ve planned multiple themed weeks every summer full of hands-on educational activities, crafts, and games. But we’ve come to realize what makes our camp so special (and so popular) and that is play! Free time seems to dominate our plans year after year. We find that our campers don’t seem to have this time and space for play anywhere else. Some kids need help with all the freedom they are given. That is where, “I’m bored” creeps in. While I don’t like hearing that statement, I do see it as a challenge and I know now it will eventually lead to something fascinating and creative! Allowing time for kids just to play and be creative has led to some pretty amazing things. A playground turned pirate ship, a pile of wood turned into a bakery, a few bricks, leaves and a handful of grass quickly became a pizzeria. Children have beautiful imaginations, they simply need the uninterrupted time to let ideas come out.

It seems ironic to have to schedule free time, but, for some people, that is the best way to get started. Maybe it’s an hour after breakfast or 45 minutes after school. It will feel odd at first, especially to those who may have their full week scheduled down to the minute, but it will be worth it. Providing a physical object to guide unstructured play may also help. One of the most successful summer camps I ever ran, “Out-of-the-Box,” was solely based on empty cardboard boxes. They played for hours each day without any instruction or rules. Kids came back the following summer begging for “box camp” to happen again.

I still remember bringing a large box to my sister’s house and watching my niece and nephew, 5 and 3 at the time, spend over an hour decorating it as an airplane. They worked carefully on every detail from the controls to the snack cart. Then, when they were finished, they closed up the flaps and took flight! For younger children, the object may be as simple as a pot and a wooden spoon or an empty bucket. To us it’s a simple everyday item, to them it could be anything. The possibilities are endless!

Play benefits children mentally, socially, physically, and emotionally. It is our responsibility to provide the time and environment to let the magic unfold.