Unstructured Play is not Boredom

As adults, many of us have lost the ability to engage in unstructured play. We vaguely recall a period of childhood where we used to do it, but since we have lost the ability to get back into those states we assume it arose of idleness and boredom.

We also vaguely recall those periods as having been “good”, so we then try to induce children over which we have control to “turn off” - sit idle, “be bored for a while”.

Rachel Thomas, cofounder of fast.ai, argues that this is not just mistaken, it is actively harmful. Boredom is not good, unstructured play is. Stop Saying Boredom is Good for Kids, she explains.

Play is a keystone of childhood. It is crucial for children to have unstructured free time in which they figure out what they want to do. Left alone, my daughter has come up with all sorts of fun ideas– building homes for her stuffed animals out of empty kleenex boxes, hand-drawing a series of mazes of varying difficulty, and inventing a murder mystery game for her matchbox cars. My daughter isn’t bored when she does these things!

Young children have an endless appetite for new information, one that is too large and deep for parents to fill just by reading books aloud.

Joy will now be published twice a month, on alternate Thursdays. If you have friends you think will enjoy reading Joy, do spread the word!