Over the last couple of decades, children have started spending more time indoors. Instead of doing morning chores like collecting eggs or feeding goats, they often spend their time engaged in indoor activities, like playing video games or watching TV. This shift has contributed to a more sedentary lifestyle, reducing opportunities for physical activity and connection with nature.
They have also seen a rise in behavioral disorders and mental health issues. While there are certainly other factors involved, the decrease in physical play is frequently cited as one of them. The good news is that more teachers, psychologists, and parents are starting to understand the benefits of physical play to the emotional well-being of kids. Here are just a few:
It Encourages Emotional Expression
Many children feel insecure and overwhelmed when trying to express their emotions. They may have experienced a traumatic event, or they could just be upset with a friend. Indeed, they might even be excited or overjoyed, but they’re not sure how to share these emotions. The struggle could be related to the experience, a particular person, or the child’s personality. An inability to express their emotions can cause kids to shut them down or act out.
Physical play allows kids to work through what they’re feeling and discuss it with their friends or family. You might be pushing a kid on the playground swings when they open up to you. Alternatively, a group of kids playing soccer or hide-and-seek may create a safe space for another child to share their thoughts. Children might start to mimic an experience they’ve had or engage in imaginative play to express their feelings.
It Enhances Social Skills
Perhaps one of the greatest benefits of physical play is that it engages kids in social activities. Most play is group play. You often need at least one other person, and usually more, to play a game, even to make-believe. Without physical play, many children would not be called upon because a team needed one more play. Many children would sit alone, hoping for friends, and they might not have enough in common to bring them together.
But a game of hide-and-seek, jump rope, or capture the flag requires multiple children to work together, share, and take turns. During these physical games, kids learn how to communicate, how to behave, and, perhaps most importantly, how not to behave. It’s important for kids to learn to pick up social cues from their peers. They’ll then be adults who can do the same, avoiding major issues and learning to resolve conflict.
It Relieves Stress
You’re likely aware by now that physical activity of virtually any kind is a stress reliever for pretty much everyone. A recent study noted that 75% of parents asked had seen a rise in at least one negative emotion in their kids — anxiety, stress, or depression. Some had seen more than one. These feelings, when not addressed, can lead to feelings of hopelessness, rage, and even suicide. But what can you do?
It sounds silly, but physical play can go a long way toward relieving stress and even addressing anxiety and depression in kids, just like it does for adults. Getting kids out into a field once a day to chase a ball can reduce those feelings of stress. Physical activity increases endorphin levels in the brain, as can play. Combined, playing in physical ways can help kids moderate their moods better, work out stresses, and get more of those important happy chemicals pumping.
It Reinforces Resilience
At the same time, kids don’t always get along while playing. Conflict arises, and kids can be put into temporarily stressful situations. Interestingly enough, these kinds of short-term stresses are actually good for kids (and adults too). While chronic stress can negatively impact your health, quick bursts of stress help build resilience. Resilient kids become adults who can better manage difficult situations and “land on their feet.”
It’s important for adults not to jump in too quickly when they see kids entering into conflict. Bigger, tougher kids are more likely to be gentle with smaller kids for fear of having no one to play with. Younger, weaker kids have an opportunity to find ways to negotiate and compromise so they can stay included in the game they’re playing. From both sides, kids often come out stronger and more prepared for real conflict later in life.
It Generates Imagination
Last, but certainly not least, is imagination. So many kids these days find themselves indoors, in classrooms, and in front of screens. Their imaginations are bound to be suffering. Without imagination, kids struggle to think outside of the box, to be innovative, or even to entertain themselves. Those kids often grow up to be adults who struggle to solve problems or find passion in their lives.
Physical play encourages kids to see things in new ways. When they interact with other kids during active games like Simon Says, a scavenger hunt, or an obstacle course, children can create characters, role play, and invent solutions to imaginary problems. They’ll also typically get feedback from other kids that helps them expand their creative thinking skills. Imagination doesn’t have to be a trait to lose; instead, it can be a skill to hone.
At the end of the day, in addition to being well-educated, you also want your kids to be tired and a bit dirty from physical play. It’s good for their spirits, their bodies, and their emotional well-being. Give kids the pleasure and, these days, the privilege of active time for unstructured play that requires them to move their bodies. They’ll more than likely grow up to be the kind of adults who remember to thank you for it.
