For many of us, Summer means big vacations, a series of camps, summer sports leagues, pool days, amusement parks and other excitement to make it memorable, meaningful and fun.  While all those activities are wonderful, the question many parents ask is, “How do we sustain the ‘fun’ on a day-to-day basis for the bulk of the summer?”

What if we let our children play instead of keeping them entertained?

Think back to what summers were like when you were growing up.  You could have hours and weeks of fun just playing in backyard plastic pools, running through the sprinkler, playing make believe, building cardboard forts, space ships, doll houses, etc. When you got older you rode bikes, played in the field behind the house, put on plays with your siblings and the neighbor kids, created your own restaurant or beauty shop, played whiffle ball in the cul-de-sac and four square in the driveway.

Ongoing research shows that kids need a break from screens and fact-based learning.  Further, they need to play without adults directing how they play and allow them to experience the challenge of boredom.  It’s from play and boredom that they learn to get creative and make their own rules for the games; to play make believe and figure out the things they want to make and do.  Playing may seem like “messing around” to many adults, but it serves a critical function in a child’s developing cognitive abilities, creativity, memory skills, pro-social behavior, problem solving, organization and emotional skills.  Playing and handling boredom, on their own, offers a deeper learning with a significant payoff to a child’s mental health including stress resiliency regardless of age.

Playing outdoors is critical for children

Be sure to allow your kids plenty of time to play outside. Dr. Claire McCarthy, Harvard Medical School, sites six crucial ways playing outside helps children:

  1.  Sunshine – Yes, sun exposure — especially sunburns — can increase the risk of skin cancer. But it turns out that our bodies need sun. We need sun exposure to make vitamin D, a vitamin that plays a crucial role in many body processes, from bone development to our immune system. Sun exposure also plays a role in our immune system in other ways, as well as in healthy sleep — and in our mood. Our bodies work best when they get some sunshine every day.
  2. Exercise – Children should be active for an hour every day, and getting outside to play is one way to be sure that happens. They can certainly exercise indoors, but sending them outdoors — especially with something like a ball or a bike — encourages active play, which is really the best exercise for children.
  3. Executive function – These are the skills that help us plan, prioritize, troubleshoot, negotiate, and multitask; they are crucial for our success. Creativity falls in here, too, and using our imagination to problem-solve and entertain ourselves. These are skills that must be learned and practiced — and to do this, children need unstructured time. They need time alone and with other children, and to be allowed (perhaps forced) to make up their own games, figure things out, and amuse themselves. Being outside gives them opportunities to practice these important life skills.
  4. Taking risks – Children need to take some risks. As parents, this makes us anxious; we want our children to be safe. But if we keep them in bubbles and never let them take any risks, they won’t know what they can do — and they may not have the confidence and bravery to face life’s inevitable risks. Yes, you can break an arm from climbing a tree — and yes, you can be humiliated when you try to make a friend and get rejected. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try; the lessons we learn from failure are just as important as those we learn from success.
  5. Socialization – Children need to learn how to work together. They need to learn to make friends, how to share and cooperate, how to treat other people. If they only interact in very structured settings, such as school or sports teams, they won’t — they can’t — learn everything they need to know.
  6. Appreciation of nature – So much of our world is changing, and not for the better. If a child grows up never walking in the woods, digging in soil, seeing animals in their habitat, climbing a mountain, playing in a stream, or staring at the endless horizon of an ocean, they may never really understand what there is to be lost. The future of our planet depends on our children; they need to learn to appreciate it.

Lastly, as adults, it’s easy to for us to forget to play.  Parents need to set time aside to play with their kids and have fun with other couples/friends also!  Check out this wonderful article from HelpGuide that examines the importance of adult play and its benefits.  They also offer some great ideas for creating opportunities to play!

This summer break take playing to a new level and make this one of the best summers ever for your family!

Blessings to your family this summer,

Shelly & Rich

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The 2022 Growing Families National Family Camp

One end of summer event we really love is the Growing Families Family Camp/Conference. Held this year, July 22-25, 2022, in Carlinville, IL (40 minutes north of St. Louis).  This All-Inclusive Family Camp/Conference is a great way to connect with like-minded families and enjoying a fun family vacation in the process!  Our son Alex went with us a few years ago and had a blast! What better way to connect with other parents that share your values and challenges, in a relaxed setting, while ending the summer with a wonderful family vacation.