Playing is a rite of passage

Allowing children to be children means lots of regular and active unstructured playtime

A couple of young girls enjoy the space to run while they and their families take advantage of the last cool days of winter at the popular Mushrif Central Park in Abu Dhabi. Silvia Razgova / The NatioShow more

Playing is part and parcel of childhood. Children need regular doses of playtime, at home or in public spaces such as parks and beaches, to exult in the joy of being a child. From a child’s perspective, being out in the fresh air is generally better than indoor play but this may not always be possible if it’s too hot or dusty. But even if they are at home, children are hard-wired to run around with their friends, inventing games and engaging in all those rhymes and teasing that are part of unstructured play. Chasing a ball or playing hide and seek is preparation for an active and healthy lifestyle later on.

But according to a recent poll, a shocking number of our children are not embracing this youthful rite of passage. Of 518 pupils surveyed at the all-girls Merashid Elementary School, only 7 per cent in the six to 10 age group exercised regularly. Alarmingly, 76 per cent of the students also professed a love for fast food and noted that their families allowed them to consume it regularly. It goes without saying that bad habits can be hard to break later in life.

Even the word “exercise” should be cause for concern. It is more often associated with adult lifestyles. Children shouldn’t be made to fit into adult patterns of life and be required to exercise regularly for a minimum period. Rather, they should be encouraged to embrace the spirit of regular playtime. For a child, exercise is really all about fun and games. That is as it should be.

Playing is a form of exercise and the key to a lasting relationship with regular exercise is to learn to enjoy the process of being active. Yet, the last two decades have seen playtime activities gradually move away from the playground to the video game console. Therefore, parents should focus on efforts to reverse this trend by encouraging their children to literally run off their excess energy on the playground before sitting down in front of the television. This is not to say that television and video games don’t have their place. Rather, that they should be enjoyed in moderation along with regular physical play. While we won’t be able to counter the growing appeal of sedentary activities, we can push good old fashioned playtime.