Playtime is one of the most cost-effective investments a parent can make in a child’s education. It requires nothing more than time, space, and imagination. It does require your faith in her inner strength, her capacity to make her own fun; it requires stepping back and letting your child discover who she is, what she enjoys doing, and the ability to pursue her own interests.

Instead of being filled with spontaneous improvisation and discovery, children’s time is increasingly being scheduled by adults and gobbled up by electronic devices. By robbing kids of ample time for imagination, exploration, and collaborative invention, we are taking away essential opportunities for them to develop the skills required for real achievement and fulfillment over time.

Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity. Through play, children learn to master their fears, assert their needs, process and cope with their emotions, and learn to get along with others.

When playtime happens in a natural setting, that’s even better. Kids are calmer, more optimistic, healthier, more creative, and more academically successful when they spend lots of time outside. Outdoor playtime opens up a world of possibilities that can expand the imagination, stimulate all the senses, and free the spirit in ways that indoor activities and screentime can never do.

Summing-up: Ample time for unstructured play is essential to children becoming confident, intelligent, creative, and successful. In particular, outdoor playtime can expand children’s imagination, stimulate all their senses, and free their spirits.