In some areas across the country, school is already in session. For others, the start of the 2012-2013 school year is just around the corner. As lazy afternoons spent at the pool and on neighborhood playgrounds turn to hurried schedules filled with homework and extracurricular activities, we need to remember to incorporate time for free play into our daily lives.
Free play is critical to help children become socially adept, learn how to deal with stress and for building cognitive skills like problem solving. Experience is a wonderful teacher and free play builds experiences, from sharing and waiting your turn down the slide to mastering learning panels.
Watch Dr. Stuart Brown’s TED talk on why Play is more than fun.
Will you be fostering free play this school year?