‘Children need time and space to explore. Rich environments produce rich minds.’ Helen Battelley

As a young child in the 1970’s, my childhood was one embedded in exploration and creativity, from climbing hay bales in my grandfather’s barn, to baking with my mother. My sister and I would play board games, negotiating the terms of engagement and contesting the winner! During the long summer holidays, we would be found congregating with other local children, building dens, trying to make fire and creating heroic games. When dusk all too quickly approached, we knew it was time to venture back home. Do any of these memories ring true for you? How do you feel your childhood differs from those children within your current community? What has changed?

Most of us can recall rich and vibrant play experiences from our childhood. Memories of climbing trees, chasing our dreams, endless days of freedom, exploring secret places and the unfolding of time. 

Play is universal, play unites us, play broadens our capacity to grow, play is nourishing, and play is essential to a child’s optimal development. 

Throughout the age’s scholars have studied ‘play’ in all its guises and undoubtedly play prepares children for the demands of later life, it allows them to forge an understanding of this wondrous world in which we live. The more diverse play experiences a child encounters the further the learning potential. Play is cathartic it allows children to comprehend challenges and release negative feelings.

There is immense value to be found in physical outdoor play, immersing oneself in nature, whether in gardening, digging, swinging, climbing, constructing, observing, exploring or creating. So, what has changed for children today?

“Play is the highest form of research” Albert Einstein

Why should we just let children play?

As observers, play may represent the act of having fun, of immersing oneself in a fantastical world void of ‘adult’ intervention. But play is not merely about having fun, play is instinctual, and the basis of our personality is formed during these influential play years.  For centuries scholars have researched and studied children to determine the origins of play and its value in early childhood development, many came to the same conclusion; play is innate and enables children to make sense of the world.

Play is a choice and a freedom to be creative and explore. Through first-hand experiences children can develop abstract thinking, to apply knowledge to new situations allowing them to “focus on the meaning of all human social interaction” (Hughes 1999). Through play children can emotionally self-regulate and learn to manage their feelings and responses. 

Why are children not playing like they used to?

Sadly, the attrition of play is sizeable because of increased anxiety in society, environmental challenges, advances in technology and social pressures are all having an impact. These contributing factors are presenting a deleterious effect on all areas of a child’s development impacting on significant areas of learning and well-being. Many educators have noted a decline in imaginative play, stating ‘children’s imaginations have changed, children can no longer make believe’, and have observed those who engage in device play have the highest distraction levels and decrease of stamina/commitment to remain immersed in play and learning. 

Since 2014, 347 playgrounds were closed by local authorities across England, pervading the green spaces available to children. Digital technology is a daily experience for many young children, research suggests the average aged 8 child spends 1 year (24 hrs a day) on digital technology. Our busy, stressful lives and environmental changes have clearly impacted on children’s development opportunities.

In my work as an education consultant, I often view young children in flow play, engrossed, fully immersed in play, until a bell rings, and it’s time for scheduled ‘play’ led and driven by adults (fundamentally, policy makers!). Limiting time for children to reach flow will undermine the theory of ‘play’ as the ‘activity’ becomes work. When adults intervene without permission Play evolves to ‘work play’ with a required outcome, a scheduled experience, molded by adults. Adults must make allowances for a different outcome; the play (in flow) is the outcome itself, or leads to more creative outcomes, which are still quantifiable as a learning objective.

‘Play should be an unfolding of wonderful enlightenments’ Anon

Parents and educators should allow time for children to ponder and reflect, to become fully immersed in their play and fulfill outcomes, to discover, grow and learn.

We must play to learn…

Advances in neuroscience reveal children require time and space to refine their physical skills, to cement neural pathways central to all learning and development (Stevens 2013). Research conducted by the BHF in 2018 reported 91% of UK 4-year-olds were not reaching the recommended levels of physical activity, this will impact on all developmental domains. The World Health Organisation (WHO 2019) recommendations for physical activity suggest children from walking age to 5 years should engage in 180 minutes of physical activity (PA), 60 minutes of this should be moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Children aged 5 and over require a minimum of 60 minutes of Physical activity per day with 30 minutes of mvpa.

Anthropologists suggest increased sedentary behaviour in childhood reduces the ability to learn from experiences and produces developmental delays (Leisman et al 2016). Interestingly the ability to spatial reason in early childhood is an indicator of future academic success, yet academic didactic teaching is being pushed on younger children each year (Rich and Brendefur 2018). Bentley et al (2015) identified, higher levels of PA during early childhood were associated with improved health outcomes, whereas sedentary behaviour (SB) was associated with poorer health outcomes. Prolonged periods of sedentary time are also associated with an increased risk of depression in children and adolescents. Children spend an average of 12,000 hours in statutory education in their lifetime I wonder how much of this is spent in sedentary learning!

If we want to prepare our children for the future, we must offer them the best possible childhood and play should be a priority. To prepare young children for ‘school readiness’ parents should be advised to reduce the use of worksheets, academic prep, and dictatorial teaching for more, immersive play and essential skills (dressing, eating, self-care, self-regulation).

Helen is an internationally renowned consultant, trainer, author, lecturer and speaker in Physical activity and movement Play in Early and Primary Education with an MA in Early Childhood Physical Activity and Movement Studies.

www.musicandmovement.org.uk