The Value of Free Play

At Fitzgerald, children spend time outside year-round engaging in daily age-mixed free play.
Unstructured play is essential to children’s mental and physical well-being. The decline in play and movement over the years is negatively impacting our children. Dr. Peter Gray is a research professor at Boston College who has researched this area extensively. Dr. Gray speaks about the decline of play in this TEDx Talk. Research shows that our practices of monitoring children, structuring their activities, and protecting them have reduced their physical activity and health. We must encourage free play amongst our children and take a step-back from adult-directed activities.

In his book, Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life, Dr. Gray argues that our children, if free to pursue their own interests through play, will not only learn all they need to know, but will do so with energy and passion. Children learn to control their lives, solve problems, get along with peers, and become emotionally resilient through free play.

In The Special Value of Children’s Age-Mixed Play, Dr. Gray writes, “In age-mixed play, older children scaffold the behavior of younger ones, so that the latter play within their zones of proximal development and thereby stretch their abilities to higher levels. Even when they are not playing directly with older children, younger children in age-mixed environments learn by watching and listening to the older ones. Conversely, older children practice nurturance and leadership in interactions with younger ones and learn by teaching, and they are inspired by younger children to engage in activities that build their creativity and capacity for imagination.”