Children are driven by curiosity and playfulness. When they are playing, they can explore and make things happen, and share with others - not afraid of failure, they are experimenting, inventing and failing, and somehow succeeding.
The playfulness approach allows children to learn and be creative. However, in order for play to happen, children need free time, unstructured time, when they have permission to take risks, make mistakes, and explore new pathways. An environment with pre-defined activities in a defined time does not allow playfulness, creative thinking and active engagement. It does not offer support for creativity and experimentation. Like adults, children need free time. If your children are over scheduled and do not have time to play, they often feel overwhelmed and pressured, and that can lead to a number of problems, including behavioral issues and emotional challenges. Children also need time to relax and do nothing - sometimes, these are the moments when they have the best ideas. Science journalist Jonah Lehrer, referencing a landmark neuroscience study on brain activity during innovation and creativity, said: 'The relaxation phase is crucial. That’s why so many insights happen during warm showers. One of the surprising lessons of this research is that trying to force an insight can actually prevent the insight.' So, what are you doing this weekend? Are you allowing your children (and yourself) some free time?
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