Play is an important part of childhood

By: Stacy Hawkins Adams / LIFE NOTES | Times-Dispatch
Published: February 21, 2010

LIPause for a moment and remember how you played as a child.

Did you make mud pies, build forts, hold tea parties with imaginary friends or play kickball, baseball or some other sport in the backyard or a nearby empty lot?

Whatever you did to "make" your own fun, do your children have similar opportunities?

Leaders of the Alliance for Childhood, a national nonprofit organization of health professionals and educators, believe play helps children develop socially, academically and physically.

These days, said Joan Almon, executive director of the Maryland-based Alliance, which focuses on children's health and well-being, many consider childhood play unimportant. Yet the Alliance believes unstructured, imaginative play can help grow a successful adult.

The organization also believes play will be critical to curbing childhood obesity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 9 million American children ages 6 to 19 are overweight or obese.

First lady Michelle Obama launched a campaign this month called "Let's Move" to combat childhood obesity; however, the Alliance says play is the missing ingredient.

Play does not include time spent in front of the computer, mastering video games or participating in organized sports, Almon said.

"Video games have a playful element, but most games do not really spark children's creativity, and that's one of the things authentic play does -- their imagination gets stronger, their social capacity gets stronger, their aggression levels go down," she said.

Organized sports can be great, she said, but the kids are being directed by adults.

"The way children used to play sports, they created rules or adapted rules as they needed to. What we have now is children starting at a young age to become competitive, so that in adolescence or even in college, when their bodies are really ready for sports, too many are burned out."

The Alliance advocates that children have at least 60 minutes of unstructured play every day.

Parents can make play a priority by:

•Getting children outside. Take them to the park or the backyard and let them run free while you enjoy a book. •Cutting back on media (such as TV and video games) and reading fairy tales, myths and legends that get their imagination going. •Giving them materials with which they can create fun stuff -- hammers, nails and plywood for older children to build a fort or tree house; sheets and clothespins to make a tent; ropes, cardboard boxes, etc. •Allowing them to fill their own time during play dates with made-up games or activities.

It may take courage on a parent's part to pull back from some structured extracurricular activities to make this happen, but the long-term benefits will be worthwhile, she said.

"Today's children are being asked to behave in very grown-up ways and not being given the chance for the natural experience of childhood. They need time for play and for reflection. You get to know yourself and the world around you in childhood, through the informal lessons in life that sometimes come through play."

Stacy Hawkins Adams is a Chesterfield County-based novelist, professional speaker and freelance writer. She's also a wife and mom, with a son and daughter ages 8 and 11. She can be contacted at stacy@stacyhawkinsadams.com.