Kids need lots of play – preferably unstructured play that is uncontrolled by adults – to learn many things. One of those things is socialization: how to settle quarrels, to make rules (and what to do when somebody breaks them), to respect the rights of others, and to understand principles such as fair play. These are just some of the numerous skills – including academic ones – that are best learned through experience.
Some people argue that the days of unsupervised play are over, that life today is too dangerous for that. And, in some places, that could be true. But just because some urban areas aren’t as safe as they could be for kids, children’s play has to be structured. And the safety issue is highly debatable: Are parents these days just more prone to worry and thus supervise? Are we more concerned that our kids learn to compete than cooperate? Is it system issues regarding the structure and practices of school that work against unstructured play?
Fortunately, there are alternatives, and they lie in restructuring our education systems, rather than in structuring schools. The fast-growing number of unschooling families across North America and around the world are proof that playtime definitely does not have to be over.
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