Articles by the Author
Paving the Way for Backyard Play
By Marlene F. Byrne
Founder and Author of Project Play
Whether playing Super Mario 64, Wii Sports, or Guitar Hero, children are continuously challenging themselves as they conquer new worlds. According to the companies that design these multi-million dollar games, they are mind stimulating, socially interactive and even fitness friendly. But are these games good for creativity? Do they give kids thinking skills of their own, or are the game inventors the only ones fostering creativity?
What about organized sports and school activities? By second grade, kids can choose from a list of sports teams including soccer, football, golf, basketball, and swim. Throw in the after school programs such as Cub Scouts, scholastic enhancement, art programs, or book clubs and the list seems endless. Even if kids choose only a small portion of these options, they may be over scheduled.
When you look back at your own childhood, do you remember your parents managing a schedule like this? For most of us, after school meant going outside and getting together with the neighborhood kids to play backyard games like "treasure hunt" or "kick the can."
This is not to condemn video games and sports teams — I admire these technological breakthroughs and feel being part of a team has a lot of good qualities. I only question the percentage of time and precedence we put on these activities over simple backyard fun.
When kids play backyard games like "cops and robbers," "ghosts in the graveyard," or "pitchers hand out" baseball, they learn important lessons in creativity and negotiation. These games force children to take the initiative to create their own fun and negotiate their own set of rules. It is this initiative—this readiness to use their imaginations and creativity—that’s lacking among children today.
It is easy, and sometimes more practical, to let electronic play or organized sports take over simple backyard playtime. Neighborhood families don’t consist of seven or eight children anymore. The opportunity of playing with a large group of neighborhood kids can be impractical. And today, many parents are not comfortable sending children to the park by themselves. Too much is at stake.
Our children are growing up in a generation in which parents, teachers, and coaches tell them how, where, and when to do everything. Add electronic games and you’ve got children who play by the rules and use repetition to achieve the next level. And for some parents, the idea of unstructured playtime, of just getting children together with no theme or purpose, is not a priority.
I believe creativity is learned over time and eventually spills over into adulthood. Although our culture tends to place the most value on academic achievement or athletic success, unstructured playtime is crucial to a child’s cognitive development. The world will always be desperate for innovative ideas, thoughtful problem solving skills, and courageous leadership. Unlike organized sports or video games, unstructured play allows children to use their imagination and creativity while they negotiate with their friends.
It is important for us as parents to make unstructured, backyard playtime a priority. Whether it’s a game of treasure hunt or follow the leader, the idea is to foster play that demands creative thinking, imagination and negotiation among their peers—and to let the kids figure out how to entertain themselves and make their own fun through play.
