Do you remember your childhood? How much time did you spend running around the street? Now the reality is that every time children spend less time outdoors. Many times because of the crazy work schedules of parents, which entails a busy schedule of extracurriculars for children who end up spending all afternoon in school. Other times the reason is insecurity, in fact, according to data from an article published at the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, 78% of parents agree that, during their childhood, the world was safer.
However, the game cannot disappear from the childhood of our children. The game is essential for learning, to raise happy children, but also to educate children that tomorrow will be able to resolve conflicts and inspire new generations. It is essential that as parents let's give space and time to our children's game.
Children spend less time outdoors than a prisoner
In some countries, two out of three children complain about having too many extracurricular activities, and almost half of the parents, feel they don't find time to play with their children. The most striking fact, while disturbing, is that 56% of children spend less time outdoors than maximum security prisoners in the US. According to the research "Play in Balance" conducted by two brands of British detergent with 12,000 parents with children between 5 and 12 years. According to their conclusions, the little ones did not usually exceed 30 minutes a day outdoors while the inmates of the maximum security prisons in the United States leave the courtyard at least two hours a day.
And it is that the problem of conciliation forces many parents to fill their children's agendas by spending much more time doing after school rather than playing, which is how they should be.
The importance of play in children
The World Economic Forum report explains that play is freedom, it is essential for children to interact, experiment and learn from the environment and the world around them.
Playing allows them to create and grow, by mentally and physically connecting children with the world and this will be reflected in the rest of their lives. "It is a fundamental right for all children," he adds.
According to these investigations the game is essential to promote skills that will teach the child to develop emotional intelligence, problem solving and creativity. Playing to be a superhero for a while is learning to lead and for example, building a tower with pieces is innovating.
One of the main cognitive processes in creativity is original thinking and is practiced playing. A clear example is found in construction games that relate to the development they will have in the future of spatial visualization skills, connected with mathematical abilities and problem solving skills.
What can we do?
The world changes faster and faster. 56% of children in school today will work in positions that do not yet exist. This means that we have to rethink the situation, evolve and adapt our educational systems, work selection programs and evaluation processes, so that the children of the future are prepared for what tomorrow will hold.
The text taken from the World Economic Forum meeting concludes that it is a fact that "the more our children play today, the more future generations will be prepared." "The game is necessary to educate children who can solve conflicts, problems, build socially connected communities and inspire society to flourish."
Any child, wherever he is in the world, must be entitled to play. And as parents, we have the obligation to favor the recreational activities of our children, giving them time and space for the game, both for their current well-being and for their future.
