Re “A look beyond smartphones for teen troubles,” (Page A1, April 23): Anyone who has ever spent time with a 6-year-old who is accustomed to nonstructured play can clearly see the benefit for the child. I would add that the adult who is “playing” along benefits as well. A little more unstructured time for play that tweaks the imagination and the creative spirit for all of us, children and adults, please.
Marianne McCaffery
Wellfleet
After reading Adam Piore’s interview with Peter Gray about the critical role of play in mental health wellness, I celebrated by jumping around my backyard with my dog. Play is the thing. In my experience, it has always been the thing.
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I have been a teacher and licensed play therapist for more than 30 years. Now in my 60s, I have experienced the arc of childhood play change dramatically from my youth — running free with a herd of neighborhood kids — to now, when neighborhoods are empty of play or, in some places, too dangerous to be free.
We grown-ups overcomplicate things — always looking for the new interventions, the next shiny thing that will cure this anxiety epidemic. Kids are wise, they keep it simple. They know that unstructured, child-directed, lightly supervised play (especially outdoors) builds self competence, communication skills, healing relationships, community, and just plain joy. Those are the antidotes to anxiety.
Yes, one could argue that the world is less safe. But we can create safe spaces for growth and healing. If we set the conditions, if we till the soil, plant the seeds, and occasionally check in to see if water is needed, flowers grow and bloom on their own. Seeds have everything they need inside them already, they just need a bit of soil, sun, and water to realize their full potential. Same with kids.
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Parents and teachers, please bring back recess. Parents, please find or create openings in your child’s scheduled life so they can run through the woods with their pack, play pickup street hockey, or follow the shoreline at the beach hunting for treasure.
Please set down your phones, grown-ups, and rediscover your love of play too. It is a simple but sacred balm for all of our worried brains.
I am off to build a cardboard spaceship with a 5-year-old — wish us well on our journey — and hope to meet you out there in the land of play.
Kathleen F. Rice
Newton
I read with interest Adam Piore’s article on teen mental health issues. As cited in the article, Peter Gray advances an interesting premise about the effects that lack of unstructured play may have on children’s development. I grew up in a time and place where my friends and I had the run of the neighborhood as long as we were back in time for homework, supper, or whatever else. Our parents mostly knew who we were with but often not where we were or what we were doing. It seems many kids lack that freedom today. I wonder too about another factor that may affect kids’ development and that is how often their parents or caregivers are absorbed in their own devices. I frequently see adults out in public with kids in situations that would be great for personal interaction and yet the adults are keyed in to their phones rather than talking to the kids. I’d be interested to hear about any research on how this affects childhood development.
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Mark Duffy
Somerville
“And come home when the streetlights come on.” Those of us of a certain age remember a time when we’d arrive home after school and were told to go out and play but to be home in time for supper, and then went back out to play until dark. In those days the only screen was the (noninteractive) TV, which had only a few stations. And in my home, very limited viewing time was allowed. Without any adult supervision, we formed our own little tribes and social hierarchies. We rode our bikes, climbed trees, and generally explored the world around us. There were organized sports with adults in charge, but those were usually limited in time and scope. We mostly divided up our own teams with our own rules. It’s hard to comprehend what has been lost when many young people exercise their thumbs the most by scrolling screens and doing battle in video games. When I think back on all the things I learned and experienced with the other kids, I feel a tragic loss for today’s youth. Part of the journey to becoming a grown-up is learning to think for yourself. Making mistakes and learning from them. And doing all those things without any grown-ups around. Please, let’s let kids be kids and discover the world for themselves. Gotta go, the streetlights just came on!
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Rick Cutler
West Barnstable
