Play serves a crucial function for healthy human development. In mammals, the instinct and drive for play come naturally, suggesting that it serves an adaptive purpose, boosting our survival as a species. Forms of play have existed throughout human history, all over the world. Also supporting an evolutionary basis for play is our long childhood stage of development, historically spent with other children. What are the benefits of play for human thriving and survival?
Some theories include:
- Passing along society’s cultural knowledge
- Practicing for adult roles (e.g. playing house, caring for dolls, and classic predator-prey games such as hide-and-seek)
- Learning how to cope with unexpected physical and emotional challenges
- Developing autonomy
- Sparking creativity
- Engendering adaptive social skills such as cooperation
- Experiencing joy
In recent decades in the U.S., the amount of time children spend engaged in unstructured independent play (with little or no adult involvement) has fallen dramatically, raising concerns about possible negative effects on development and wellbeing. (Many of us of a certain age have fond memories of running around with packs of neighborhood kids, unsupervised, playing in the creek or making up elaborate games.)
The decline in free play has been attributed to factors such as academic anxiety (with more homework and structured “enrichment” activities), safety anxiety (although children are at least as safe now as they were decades ago), cultural shifts in parenting (such as the “intensive parenting” concept), loss of neighborhood “green spaces,” and technology/social media. Some neighborhoods lack safe places to play outdoors. And in families with two working parents and young children, the gap between the end of the school day and the end of the workday is challenging! And, importantly, with so many children enrolled in structured activities, there are few (if any) children to play with if you send your child outdoors.
School systems, with a focus on academic rigor, have been progressively shortening recess and lunchtime and cutting “creative” classes such as music and art. This is ironic, given the crucial role of play in child development and learning.
Although it may be perceived as a “waste of time,” unstructured “analog” play time (disconnected from phones and screens) is deeply valuable for children, with many lifelong benefits. Through independent group play, children learn to navigate conflict and solve problems. Without adults managing every interaction, children must learn to cope with unkind comments, teasing, and differences of opinion. They must work to resolve issues of “fairness” and decide together on leadership roles.
We all know that learning from experience is much more powerful than learning from information alone. Independent play encourages “low stakes” risk-taking, both physical and social/emotional. Children learn from their mistakes. They learn to assess risk/danger better. What is a safe height to jump from? What is the balance between enforcing game rules vs. being too bossy? They must deal with hurt and frustration when things don’t go well, thereby gaining self-confidence and competence. The resulting resilience and emotional self-regulation skills can act as partial “inoculation” against inevitable future disappointments and challenges.
During free play, children develop more independent problem-solving skills, leading to a sense of self-efficacy and mastery. (How do you form two teams with an odd number of players of all ages and abilities? What if someone gets hurt?) When adults step in too quickly to solve problems for their children, they can interfere with this crucial developmental task. Low self-efficacy is associated with higher rates of anxiety, stress and depression, as people are more likely to feel helpless and stuck. When faced with a challenge, they are less likely to believe that they can find a solution. Underdeveloped self-efficacy and lack of emotional self-regulation skills seem to be factors underlying the increase in adolescent/young adult anxiety and depression. (Household chores and part-time jobs also build a sense of personal responsibility, competence, and confidence, along with skills.)
Unstructured play also allows for the flourishing of creativity and imagination; new games (and new “rules”) are created. Curiosity is sparked. Without adults interpreting everything for them, children make connections for themselves. They are more likely to take initiative and better understand themselves and their own preferences, strengths, and emotional responses.
Additional benefits flow from outdoor play and multi-age group play: exercise, physical risk-taking, connecting with nature, the passing down of cultural knowledge, and leadership skills (older children as leaders and mentors to younger ones).
Peter Gray, a psychologist and play researcher at Boston University, co-authored a 2023 article in The Journal of Pediatrics that posits that “a primary cause of the rise in mental disorders is a decline over decades in opportunities for children and teens to play, roam, and engage in other activities independent of direct oversight and control by adults. Such independent activities may promote mental well-being through both immediate effects, as a direct source of satisfaction, and long-term effects, by building mental characteristics that provide a foundation for dealing effectively with the stresses of life.”
Some actions communities can take:
- Advocate for more recess, longer lunchtime, and arts programs in schools
- No homework for younger school children
- Parents can plan together with neighbors to encourage their children to play outside, maybe coordinating times so there are other children to play with (ideally with minimal adult supervision).
- You can decide on parameters for safety etc.
- Advocate for before- and after-school free play groups (to support families with working parents)
- Talk with your children about areas in which they might want more independence
- Parenting is difficult! In fact, the U.S. Surgeon General recently released the Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Mental Health and Well-Being of Parents. This information may allow parents some relief from the pressures and provide reassurance and permission to step back, opening some time for themselves. Play is good for adults as well, generating social connection, joy, laughter, rejuvenation, relaxation, and stress reduction.