The lack of opportunities for children to play freely – and the steady decline of unstructured playtime – may actually be hurting children rather than helping them, according to a series of articles published in a special edition of the American Journal of Play.
In one article, The Decline of Play and the Rise of Psychopathology in Children and Adolescents, author Peter Gray highlights the correlation between the decline of free play and the rise of emotional disorders in children.
"Over the past half century, in the United States and other developed nations, children’s free play with other children has declined sharply. Over the same period, anxiety, depression, suicide, feelings of helplessness, and narcissism have increased sharply in children, adolescents, and young adults," writes Gray.
"Play functions as the major means by which children (1) develop intrinsic interests and competencies; (2) learn how to make decisions, solve problems, exert self-control, and follow rules; (3) learn to regulate their emotions; (4) make friends and learn to get along with others as equals; and (5) experience joy. Through all of these effects, play promotes mental health."
In a separate article, The Special Value of Children’s Age-Mixed Play, Gray laments the current tendency to separate children into age groups, limiting opportunities for interaction across wider age ranges, where younger children can learn from older playmates and older children benefit from learning nurturing and leadership skills.
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