play report vol. 3: unstructured play

Structured vs. Unstructured Play How they’re different,

and why it matters

The Play Report Vol. 3

2 Playworld Systems

Structured vs. Unstructured Play How they’re different, and why it mattersThe Play Report Vol. 3

The structuring of playFormalizing, scheduling, monitoring – all originate from the best intentions. We want our kids to be safe. We want to know where they are, and what they’re doing. We want them to have the best, and that includes play skills and experiences.

But like many well-intentioned efforts, the adult management of play can go too far. Research suggests that removing all unknowns from play may be cheating our children out of important developmental benefits. Creativity. Imagination. Risk assessment. Problem solving.

In a way, we’ve put play in a box. And that box has its purpose. But maybe it’s time to open it up, at least a little. To bring back some fresh air and spontaneity … and unleash the benefits of unstructured play.

Not all play is the same We think about play in two broad categories Structured vs. unstructured. Both types promote a broad range of child development, but there are significant differences.

Structured PlayCard and board games, other established games (like Tag, Hide-and-Seek, Hopscotch, and organized sports). • Predetermined objectives • Existing rules • Typically adult-initiated, supervised

Benefits: • Enhances educational learning and

improved self-confidence

Unstructured PlayActivities, games and pursuits that children initiate themselves, without adult intervention. Play formed organically from child instinct and imagination. • Open-ended objectives • No pre-existing rules • Child-initiated, directed

Benefits: • Promotes initiative, logical thinking,

creativity and problem-solving

Striking a balance between structured and unstructured play is the key to whole child development in the 21st century.- Michael M. Patte, Ph.D. Professor of Education, Bloomsburg University of PA

Structured vs. Unstructured Play How they’re different, and why it matters

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The shift toward structureGone are the roving packs of kids who used to roam the neighborhoods, pursuing their own play until street lights flickered on and dinner bells rang.

In today’s era of “hothousing” and helicopter parenting, children are more closely monitored – often inside, and under the direction of an adult or an electronic screen.

Time not spent in school tends to be scheduled for homework, organized sports, and other structured activities.

The amount of time that children spend in unstructured free play today is in decline.- Michael M. Patte, Ph.D. Professor of Education, Bloomsburg University of PA

30 years ago, a typical preschool day was 40% child-initiated play.Today, that number has declined to 25% (Miller and Almon, 2009).



Time devoted to organized activities (including sports) increased 50% between 1980 and 1998 (Hofferth, 1999).

Three societal shifts that have impacted unstructured play (Chudacoff, 2007)

THEN: NOW:

Playing anywhere,

using informal, natural,

and “found” spaces

Homemade, improvised, “discovered”

toys

Plentiful free, unscheduled

time

PLACE

THINGS

TIME

Playing only in contrived, demarcated play spaces

Educational, manufactured, and/or electronic toys, games and programming

Extended school day, more intense scheduling, most time programmed

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The Play Report Vol. 3 Structured vs. Unstructured Play How they’re different, and why it matters

Why the decline in unstructured play? • Increased time spent in classroom

• A growing belief that childhood is a time for resume-building (Elkind, 2007)

• Overemphasis on structured activities such as organized sports and clubs (Patte, 2009)

• Eroding social capital (the network of social connections formed through shared values and behavioral norms) (Putnam, 2001)

• Safety concerns: crime, traffic, stranger danger (Brown & Patte, 2013)

The price of fearFear can cause parents to micromanage the lives of their children in various ways (Elkind 2007 and Gill, 2007):

Overinvesting. Many traditionally parental roles are now delegated to others. As a result, parents can tend to overinvest in the practices still under their control.

Overprotecting. Sensitized by the 24-7 news cycle, today’s parents are more concerned than ever for the physical well-being of their children – even though there’s no evidence that kids are in greater danger today than in the past (CDC Pedestrian Safety Fact Sheet, 2013).

Overprogramming. Parents today feel pressured to accelerate their children’s development (Elkind, 2007). That sense of urgency often leads parents to over-enroll children in structured activities, leaving little time for child-initiated, unstructured play (Brown & Patte, 2013; Elkind, 2007; Marano, 2008).

Play has morphed from an unstructured, child-initiated endeavor to an adult-directed activity (Marano, 2008).



“… this change has transformed children from active participants to ‘backseat children’ … passively escorted from one structured activity to the next.”

- Michael M. Patte, Ph.D. Professor of Education, Bloomsburg University, paraphrasing Karsten (2005)

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Inability to cope with boredom. Since the mid-1900s, play has centered more on the toy than on the activity. As a result, children are less likely to entertain themselves through their own creativity, and seek greater levels of structure from adults and interactive toys. The ensuing cycle becomes a constant pursuit of externally-driven activities at the expense of internally-driven ones requiring creativity and initiative.

Impaired social and cognitive competence. Depriving children of child-initiated, outdoor play impedes the development of social-emotional learning and the ability to self-regulate.* Research also connects the decline in play opportunities with the decline in empathy and a rise in narcissism among children with limited opportunity to play socially (Gray, 2013). * The National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education (2002)

Emotional fragility. Unstructured, child-initiated play allows children to experience and work through challenges, discomfort and disappointment. Without these experiences, children may fail to develop coping skills and the inner resolve necessary to thrive in a changing world (Marano, 2008).

Anxiety and depression. As opportunities for play have decreased, incidence of mental disorders has increased among children (Gray, 2013). Anxiety disorders and major depression in young people have increased to 5-8 times their 1950s level.

Deficiency of creativity and imagination. Creativity expert Dr. Kyung-Hee Kim indicates that, even as IQ scores have increased, creative thinking among American children has decreased since 1990 (Kim, 2011).

Inflexibility. Unstructured play serves as training for the unexpected. Scholars have determined that wolves learn to improvise behaviors more effectively through play. Further, they connect play experiences to children’s ability to develop skills in creativity, flexibility, and adaptability to new environments (Bekoff and Pierce, 2009).

Risk aversion. Over-protecting children from risk deprives them of opportunities to assess and manage risk. A sheltered, risk-free environment fosters kids who are risk-averse and psychologically fragile when facing a fluid, real-world environment.

When it comes to structure, more isn’t always better.When kids miss out on unstructured play, they also miss out on important skills development.




Inability to attend and poor task completion. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2007) reports that 4.5 million children aged 3-17 are diagnosed with ADHD. Research has connected this high incidence to an early childhood curriculum that requires children to sit idle for extended periods of time (Marano, 2008).

The prevalence of the

ADHD diagnosis brings a

corresponding increase in

the number of kids being

medicated for enhanced

attention: more than

21 million prescriptions a

year – a 400% increase

over the course of a decade.

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The Value of Unstructured PlayHere’s a shortlist of what unstructured play does:

Giv

es k

ids

a ch

ance

to m

aste

r ele

men

ts o

f the

wor

ld o

n th

eir o

wn

term

s (G

insb

urg,

200

7).

Build

s self

-det

erm

inat

ion,

self-

este

em a

nd th

e ab

ility

to se

lf-re

gulat

e (B

arro

s et a

l., 20

09).

Develops social co

mpetence – resp

ect for ru

les, self-d

iscipline, aggressi

on contro

l,

problem solving, le

adership development, a

nd conflict re

solution (P

ellegrini, 2

009).

Provides rich opportunity to cultivate creativity and imagination (Russ & Fiorelli, 2010).

Enhances cognitive understanding – learning through thought,

action, and the senses (Action for Healthy Kids, 2008).

Builds strength, coordination and cardiovascular fitness, and moderates

childhood obesity and its associated complications (Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention, 2010).

Transforms boredom into a catalyst for children to enhance inventiveness,

develop self-reliance, and create their own happiness (Kenison, 2002).



Recent research suggests a 2-to-1 ratio of unstructured-to-

structured play time.



WHAT YOU CAN DO:

Re-evaluate your mindset. Productivity and industry are signs of a successful adult – so it can be easy to project that standard onto our children. But they’re not miniature adults. Play is their most productive activity.

Limit TV and screen time. Set reasonable time limits.

Allow your children to be bored. Downtime isn’t a bad thing. Remember that some of the best ideas and creative inclinations spring from being bored.

Choose play materials wisely. Open-ended toys that can be used in multiple ways offer the greatest play value to children.

Advocate slow parenting. Consider reducing quantity of organized activities to increase children’s opportunities to explore the world at their own pace.

(continued on p. 14)



Ways to re-establish child-initiated play


(continued from p. 13)

Consider the quantity/volume of extra-curriculars. Leave some unstructured daylight in children’s days. (There’s no ideal number of extra-curricular activities, but experts suggest one social and one athletic activity each year as a baseline.)

Explore the great outdoors. Richard Louv (2008) coined the term “nature deficit disorder” – identifying children’s growing disconnect with nature. Drawing from multiple research sources, he argues that direct contact with nature is essential to emotional and physical health.

Tap the resources. A wealth of credible resources examines play across various disciplines and perspectives, including The American Journal of Play and The International Journal of Play.


Ways to re-establish child-initiated playM

OR

E



Turn your neighborhood into a place for play. Work with neighbors and the local community to create opportunities for unstructured, child-directed play.

Join with like-minded individuals. Many professional organizations and advocacy groups support the importance of play in whole child development. Connect with information, advocacy and action. [See list on pg. 19]

Kids learn through play. So does Playworld. The study of unstructured play and its benefits

informs our designs – play spaces that invite children

to play in their own way, on their own terms.



As play advocates, we promote unstructured play through:

Habitat • Expert Design creating relevant, challenging and fun play environments

• Superior Craftsmanship for outstanding safety and durability

• Accessibility for people of all abilities, and communities of all sizes

Sustainability • Premium Materials for enduring integrity

• Green Manufacturing, leading the industry in environmental sustainability

• Lifelong Play with designs for all ages (because play matters at every lifestage)

• Innovation to keep play relevant and engaging

Education Spreading the word about what makes great play … and why it matters:

• Defining creative, healthy play

• Promoting awareness of the importance of play

• Promoting organizations that champion the importance of early childhood play:

“KaBOOM!” Kaboom.org

The Alliance for Childhood www.allianceforchildhood.org

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) www.aap.org

The Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) www.acei.org

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) www.cdc.gov

The International Council for Children’s Play (ICCP) www.iccp-play.org

The International Play Association (IPA) www.ipaworld.org

The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) www.nrpa.org

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) www.naeyc.org

The Association for the Study of Play (TASP) www.tasplay.org

The U.S. Play Coalition www.usplaycoalition.clemson.edu



Playworld Uniting people through unstructured play

We’re a U.S. playground equipment manufacturer. For more than 40 years, we’ve created the world’s best play spaces for all ages and abilities.

800.233.8404 | +1.570.522.9800 | PlayworldSystems.com SPT15SS208 © 2015 Playworld Systems®, Inc.

Learn more – and help us save play!This report was based on From Pick Up Games to Play Dates – The Decline of Child-Initiated, Unstructured Play and the Rise of Backseat Children by Michael M. Patte, Ph.D. Professor of Education, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania.

For a complimentary copy and more information about best practices in unstructured play, visit PlayworldSystems.com/UPReport.

This Play Report is made possible in part by Playworld Systems.

play report vol. 3: unstructured play

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