Healthy + Happy #30: Break Routines with Play
Summer is a gift for our kids, a time to break from school-year routines and embrace change. While routines are important for kids, so are breaks from habitual behavior. One way you can embrace change this summer: Pledge to play.
In 1990, the United Nations declared that “every child has the right…to engage in play and recreational activities.” That’s good news, because studies show that play boosts kids’ emotional, cognitive and physical wellbeing — for life.
In a time with elevated concerns over our kids’ physical and mental health, play can help our kids build resilience and reduce stress through meaningful movement.
Free play vs. structured play.
Structured play involves goals and problem-solving (think: organized sports) while free play arises more organically and creatively (think: neighborhood game of tag, climbing a tree).
Although both types of play have proven benefits, in the U.S., parents often prioritize structured play, which can come at a cost to our kids (think: injuries, decreased enjoyment).
Experts suggest that free play — underappreciated in our fast-paced lives — may actually enhance kids’ enjoyment of sport overall because it allows for creativity and spontaneity.
Help kids play.
Remember. Play is meant to be enjoyable (not forced).
Be a role model and free play supporter. Adults play a significant role in creating conditions for children to succeed. When we create lives beyond work, we show our kids the importance of friendships and hobbies.
Create an environment that prioritizes free play..
Create safe spaces. One idea from Project Play: “create safe spaces for kids to play through group play dates. Each parent takes turns, providing supervision for one hour at a park or a street.”
Play with your kids. Deepen your connection with your kid(s) by letting them lead.
Don’t underestimate micro-moments of play (e.g., a 30-second family dance party, seeing who can balance on one foot the longest, etc.).
Let boredom flow. Boredom is a gift that can spark kids’ creativity and help them understand who they are.
Embrace nontraditional sports. Most kids quit organized sports by age 11. Why? They stop having fun. Non-traditional sports offer creative opportunities that can help foster more fun through movement.
In the News
School food round-up.
Remember when pizza was considered a vegetable? School lunch has come a long way since then. Three recent examples:
School districts are using inclusivity and student voices to help transform school lunches.
Vegan and vegetarian options are becoming normalized.
Last month, Illinois passed groundbreaking legislation for Halal and Kosher options in schools.
School lunch debt has soared recently — $19 million, to be precise — and schools around the U.S. need our help. Donate here (with All for Lunch) and/or contact your local school directly.
Summer wellness: Inspiration and ideas.
Milk has been a staple in many homes, yet the trend with Gen Z is to ditch dairy. Do not despair, kids can get their nutritional needs met from other sources, like fruits and vegetables. Here are four ideas for boosting your kids’ fruit/vegetable consumption:
Extend dinner by 10 minutes.
Conduct a family blind taste test.
Reframe food in animal terms (e.g., “what giraffes eat” (leafy greens), “what bears eat” (blueberries), “what rabbits eat” (carrots), etc.).
New ways to move outside.
Do good and move with Swedish-inspired “plogging” and “pliking.”
Participate in the Vitamin N Challenge or create a Family Nature Club.