The Key to Healthy Child Development – Free Play

Healthy, whole child development is just as much about routine and structure, as it is about the lack of them. Lack of structure and freedom to play as they wish, helps children develop skills no structured effort can compensate for. Discover the benefits of free play, the detrimental effects the lack of it can have on children and ways to make space for it in your child's life.

Our muddy Preschoolers in The Heights climbing and balancing, pretending a fallen tree is a motorcycle and cooperating with friends to get to their destination.

We live in times when children’s time is the most entertained by adults it has ever been. Most kids have no control over their lives. They go from school to after school activities, to playing games made up by adults, constantly surrounded by stimulation and structure. See, children really only have control over one area of their lives – play. When we take away children’s freedom to do whatever they want to do while they play, they become fully controlled by adults. This alone not only contributes to heightened anxiety, but also takes away from developing valuable life skills. 

What exactly is free play?

Free play is unstructured and child-led play without instructions or expectations. It’s having the freedom to choose what to play, how to play, who and what to play with, without adult direction. It’s a time for children to explore, experiment and express themselves creatively. 

Why is free play important?

Free play offers numerous benefits for children’s holistic development. Here are a few to name:

Enhanced creativity and imagination – When children are left to play however they want, they use their imaginations and often come up with much more creative and developmentally appropriate ideas than we could ever offer them. Whether it’s role-playing, building things or coming up with their own games, free play helps develop creative thinking and imagination.

Autonomy and independence – Leaving children be and not micromanaging how they play, allows them the space to try new things, make choices, take risks, fail and recover on their own. All of these help develop a sense of autonomy and independence, which then becomes confidence.  

Problem-solving – Free play encourages critical thinking and problem-solving as they play. Because the play was never directed by an adult and didn’t have a set of rules, they don’t try to outsource the problem-solving to others. They face the problems that come up themselves and find solutions. Such a valuable skill to have in life. 

Focus and attention – When children are allowed to follow their own lead and do exactly what interests them, their focus and attention is enhanced. This gives them an opportunity to practice and increase their threshold of attention.

Social-skills – Free play often includes not only interacting, but cooperating with peers. This encourages negotiating as they make choices, sharing and taking turns, as well as understanding social cues. These are all important skills needed in life. 

Motor skills – Lack of structure while playing often encourages children to test and push their own physical boundaries and attempt things they wouldn’t otherwise. They might not only run, jump and climb, but also carry heavy things, move objects and build structures. All of these contribute to overall physical health. 

How can lack of free play negatively affect children?

Lack of free play can have detrimental effects on children. It can not only impact their development, but can cause mental health challenges. Here are some negative consequences of lack of free play:

Increased anxiety and depression – When children lack the freedom to explore, make decisions, and engage in free play, they experience more anxiety and difficulty regulating their emotions. 

Reduced adaptability – Free play, especially with other children, requires flexibility and spontaneity, which teaches kids adaptability. Constantly being in structured activities does not open up space to learn to adapt.  

Reduced self-confidence – Overly structured schedules and lack of autonomy don’t give children opportunities to accomplish things, in turn feeling accomplished, which results in lower self-esteem. 

Difficulty with impulse control – Free play creates opportunities for learning cause and effect. Having to navigate through consequences helps develop self-regulation and self-control. 

Ways to make space for free play

Now that we know free play is not optional but essential for whole child development, let’s talk about some ways you can make space for it in your child’s life.

Encourage pretend-play – Pretend-play has endless potential for creativity and no rules. Pretend-play can be done with absolutely zero supplies or with toys. The key is for kids to use their imaginations, make choices and decisions and build autonomy. 

Let them take the lead – Take care to not take over or correct children in how they play. Remember that even if they might not be using things for their intended use, or doing things differently than you would, it’s not about you. This is their time to build autonomy and create. 

Encourage outdoor play – As a nature school teacher, I might be biased, but outdoor play is the best place for free play. This is where imagination, autonomy, adaptability and motor skills have the most potential to thrive! After all, this is where free play has been done for generations. Outdoors can range from backyard and driveway to a park. 

It is crucial to remember that free play isn’t this useless pastime that kids can take part in when they have nothing else to do. Play is how kids learn and is in fact the most important thing they can do for their holistic development. Free play teaches kids fundamental skills needed to navigate through life successfully and achieve their full potential. It’s time to make space for it again!

At The Wild School, we believe in learning through play, exploration, and discovery in the great outdoors. Try a class and see the difference!

Email us at info@thewildschool.org to learn more about our programs!

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by Viktorya Avetisyan