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In our fast-paced world, families often juggle schedules that are filled with completing schoolwork, participating in extracurricular activities, and managing screen time. While these activities can be beneficial for children to participate in, taking part in them may leave little time for children to engage in free play which is unstructured, child-led moments that can foster healthy development. When a child engages in free play, they can nurture their creativity, social skills, emotional resilience, and cognitive growth—all of which are key to a child’s overall well-being (Ginsburg et al., 2007). As parents, recognizing the importance of free play and incorporating it into your family’s daily life can have lasting benefits for your child’s growth and happiness.

Why Free Play Matters

Free play offers children the opportunity to explore their world independently. It may enable them to do the following:

• Develop critical skills like decision-making, conflict resolution, and self-advocacy (Ginsburg et al., 2007).
• Build self-regulation, which is linked to long-term academic and emotional success (Colliver et al., 2022).
• Foster independence and creativity through natural exploration and problem-solving (Ginsburg et al., 2007).

Examples of Play Supporting Development

Unstructured play can support various areas of a child’s growth, including the following:

• Cognitive Growth: When children pretend to be others, such as a shopkeeper, they can develop cognitive skills. For example, counting items in a store, playing with pretend money, or creating signs for their store can help a child build early math, writing, problem-solving, and language skills (Hirsh-Pasek et al., 2008). Furthermore, when they engage in conversations with “customers,” they can enhance their vocabulary and communication skills. Even deciding what to sell or how to price items can encourage critical thinking and decision-making (Hirsh-Pasek et al., 2008).
• Social and Emotional Growth: Make-believe scenarios like caring for a sick doll, building a house for a stuffed animal, or helping a toy “solve” a problem can teach empathy, compassion, and social bonding. Through role-playing, children can learn to understand others’ perspectives and practice cooperation. Play also may help children process emotions, especially anxiety or trauma, by enabling them to act out and explore difficult feelings in a safe environment (Mader, 2022; Ginsburg et al., 2007).
• Executive Function Skills: Games like “Simon Says” can help build attention, impulse control, and memory for children, and these are key skills that can be used for academic success (Zosh et al., 2022). Similarly, playing “Red Light, Green Light” or “Freeze Dance” can give children opportunities to practice self-regulation and quick thinking. Even building block activities can introduce math concepts and help foster problem-solving and organizational skills when an adult guides the play (Zosh et al., 2022).

The Role of Parents in Encouraging Free Play

Parents can create an environment that nurtures free play by intentionally providing opportunities that stimulate their child’s creativity and independence. Here are some practical ways to support free play:

• Offer simple materials: Provide items like blocks, costumes, art supplies, or outdoor toys to spark imaginative play and creativity (Ginsburg et al., 2007). Even everyday household items, like cardboard boxes, plastic containers, or paper towel rolls, can be used in endless adventures.
• Set aside time: Dedicate at least 30 minutes a day for unstructured play. This time can offer children a chance to take the lead, make decisions, and develop problem-solving skills through self-directed activities (Colliver et al., 2022).
• Limit screen time: While screens can offer educational content, too much screen time can crowd out active, hands-on play opportunities. Setting clear boundaries for screen time use can give children more opportunities to engage in imaginative and physical activities (Mader, 2022).
• Encourage outdoor play: Whenever possible, provide opportunities for outdoor exploration. Nature can be a powerful setting to inspire free play and offer various possibilities for creativity and physical activity (Ginsburg et al., 2007).

Free play is more than a way for kids to have fun—it could be an essential building block to their development. When you create opportunities for unstructured play, you can help your child grow emotionally, socially, and cognitively.