Free Play

There are many trends in our society that I find disturbing. I am horrified by the rise of authoritarianism in the United States. I am also very concerned by the extent to which ideological differences seem to be preventing real conversations between people.

I’m sure that I’m going to be writing more about each of these topics. However, that’s for another day.

In this post, I want to give a shout-out to the benefits of free play. I’m beyond grateful for being a kid during a time when free play was possible.

I’ve just finished reading an excerpt from a podcast called Why Americans Stopped Hanging Out — and Why It Matters. I recommend it because it reminds me of some of the best experiences from my childhood.

I lived during a time when my friends and I would do pretty much whatever we wanted for hours at a time. After school, we would play in my treehouse or play hide-and-seek in the neighborhood. We would ride our bikes to a playground. We would play freeze-tag or dodgeball or Egyptian Rat Killer (the best card game ever).

Later, we played Dungeons & Dragons and Star Frontiers. I created vast imaginary worlds that my friends and I would explore together. I had time to read lots of science fiction stories, magazine articles, and books. I even had time to watch cloud formations ebb and flow across the sky.

My friends and I had the luxury of choosing what we wanted to do. We learned social skills in a world that was not controlled by well-meaning adults. We set our own boundaries, we made up our own rules, and we found creative ways to fill many hours through the years.

And these experiences were the best! They helped make me the person I am today.

Free play encourages people to become more creative, flexible, and engaged. Free play increases our emotional intelligence. In short, free play prepares us to become the productive members of society that adults want to see in this world.

I’m sad that so few kids get to experience the magic of free play in today’s world. While I may be a relic from a bygone age, I believe deeply in the value of free play.