8.6: Free Play

Free play is the first introduction to physical activity for most young children. From first crawling across a room to explore new areas, to running, jumping, and climbing in parks and playgrounds with friends and classmates. Free play presents opportunities to develop motor skills as well as social skills. Guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics states that most children are ready for organized sports at around age 6, but should engage in free play until (and after) that time (Logan et al., 2019). Free play is valuable for the physical activity it provides, but it has additional benefits not seen with other types of physical activity including imagination, creativity, and social skills. Free play, often referred to as unstructured play, gives children and youth a chance to create and enforce their own rules, without direct oversight from a parent, teacher, coach, or other adult. Play is so important for children that it is recognized by the United Nations as a universal human right (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 1989). There are few studies available examining the access for children to free play, although many barriers are known, including weather, safety, and lack of infrastructure in the surrounding built environment (Brockman et al., 2011; Veitch et al., 2006). The most commonly reported locations for physical activity include a home/apartment complex yard, park or playground, school grounds after school hours, and a friend or relative’s home (Corder et al., 2011).

8.6.1. Outdoor Play

A special area of interest within free play is the exposure and opportunity it often presents for children to be outside. In fact, the amount of time spent outdoors has been found to be a significant predictor of a child’s overall physical activity level (Sallis et al., 2000). Additionally, the higher variety of places to be active that a child visits is also associated with overall physical activity levels (Corder et al., 2011). Natural play spaces include unique terrain, plants, rocks, water and other natural elements that children can choose how to use, as opposed to traditional playsets where it is very clear what should be done with a swing or a slide. Renovation of play spaces from traditional to natural playgrounds has been shown to increase physical activity and may also increase engagement in “risky play” (Coe et al., 2014).Risky play refers to activities such as climbing, jumping, and fast running and has been shown to be associated with healthy child development (Brussoni et al., 2012).

8.6.2. Implications for Interventions in Active Free Play

8.6.2.1. Pre-School Children

Parental support for active free play is particularly important for young children who are not yet enrolled in school. Evidence suggests that children who attend pre-school are less active when at school than at other times in the day (O’Dwyer et al., 2013) but that family-focused education and activity can increase physical activity and decrease sedentary time in this age group (O’Dwyer et al., 2012). Some children may prefer—and be more active during—structured activities while others may prefer free play and so a variety of opportunities should be presented (Frank et al., 2018).

8.6.2.2. School-Aged Children

While development of motor skills is driven by physical activity in early childhood, this relationship may reverse in middle childhood as children with better motor skill development become and stay more active (Coe, 2020). Access to recess and other opportunities for free play must be maintained and improved in this age group, showing interaction of efforts to increase free play with other contexts such as school and family settings. More research is needed in this area to identify specific intervention characteristics that can successfully support free play, but safety and access are two likely factors. As suggested by the Protection Paradox, overprotection on the part of parents and teachers who are (understandably) trying to avoid injury, may result in reduced opportunity for children to engage in challenging and appealing play. Long-term health, supported by appropriate physical activity levels, should be valued as much as safety (ParticipACTION, 2015). It is possible to increase the amount of time that families spend being active outside by providing education and information about local activity resources (parks and greenways) and empowering parents to act as physical activity role models (Flynn et al., 2017).

Photo by jonas mohamadi from Pexels

8.6.2.3. Adolescents and Teenagers

Parents can support active free play by providing transportation to recreational areas where adolescents can be active with friends. As teenagers build lifelong activity patterns, exploring a variety of outdoor hobbies can increase the likelihood of identifying physical activities that they enjoy, such as hiking, water activities, and other outdoor pursuits beyond organized sport. These activities may be particularly appealing for adolescents who have dropped out of organized sport due to disinterest in competition.