JANE E. BRODY
'Go out and play' is missing today

I remember fondly a joy-filled childhood in which we came home from school,
gobbled down a snack and ran out to play until dark. We made up games ,
taught each other to roller skate and ride bicycles, ran and jumped, climbed
and fell, fought and negotiated, and generally had lots of fun without
adults telling us what to do.

In playgrounds, we climbed high slides, going up the ladder and the slide
itself; soared on swings; swung from monkey bars; and seesawed, carefully
balancing weight by moving up or down on the seat.

Play has taken on new forms in these "modern" times. Adults hover over
preschoolers, "helping" them play nicely and preventing them from hurting
themselves or others. For first-graders and beyond, if they have any free
time at all, most playgrounds have become so safe as to be utterly boring.

Unfettered playtime is more and more consumed, in school and at home, by
academic programs, electronic media and games, and adult-organized
activities at the expense of children's physical, emotional and social
development, say experts on play and its role in child development.

Schools are eliminating recess and physical education to cram in lessons on
reading and math to meet nationally prescribed academic standards.
Overprogrammed children are under stress to perform, perform, perform, with
few or no outlets for that stress. Many children who lack adult supervision
at home are stuck "safely" indoors after school.

"From a child development perspective, children need access to an
environment that allows them to play out what is natural to them - physical,
dramatic, constructive and spontaneous games," Joe L. Frost, an emeritus
professor of education at the University of Texas who is an expert on play
and playgrounds around the world, said. "But in our high-tech society,
children go indoors right after school and eat junk food and play video
games."

A report in the journal Pediatrics in January by Dr. Kenneth R. Ginsburg and
two committees of the American Academy of Pediatrics summed up the
importance of free play to a child's development. It made these points:

Play allows children to use their creativity while developing their
imagination, dexterity and physical, cognitive and emotional strength.

Play is important to brain development.

Play allows children to create and explore a world they can master,
conquering their fears while practicing adult roles.

Play helps children develop new competencies that lead to enhanced
confidence and the resiliency they will need to face challenges.

Undirected play allows children to learn how to work in groups, to share, to
negotiate and to resolve conflicts.

Some play must remain child-driven, with parents either not present or as
passive observers. When play is child-driven, children practice
decision-making, move at their own pace, discover their own areas of
interest and ultimately engage fully in the passions they wish to pursue.

When play is controlled by adults, children acquiesce to adult rules and
concerns and lose some benefits of play, particularly in developing
creativity, leadership and group skills.

In contrast to passive entertainment, play builds active, healthy bodies.

Above all, play is a simple joy that is a cherished part of childhood.

Franklin Stone, a lawyer, community activist and former director of the
nonprofit public policy group Common Good, is concerned about the effects
that litigation is having on children's access to free play.

"For fear of lawsuits, we've created a bubble-wrapped society," Stone said.
"Fear of litigation has resulted in the 'dumbing down' of playgrounds and
the closing of sledding hills and hiking trails. We've made playgrounds
immensely safe for 3-, 4-and 5-year-olds, but they're boring for 8-, 9-and
10-year-olds, who are on the streets with their skateboards.

"We need to re-evaluate safety guidelines to see if we've gone too far. And
we need to consider legal protection for those who offer opportunities for
play - the schools, churches and community organizations who are now afraid
of being sued if a child gets hurt."

Children have to learn to take reasonable physical and social risks if they
are to become the confident grown-ups parents want them to be. If children
are constantly being told not to do things because it's too dangerous or
they might get hurt, parents are teaching them that they are weak, Stone
said.

Susan G. Solomon, author of "American Playgrounds: Revitalizing Community
Space," said: "Children need a chance to take acceptable risks, learn cause
and effect, make choices and see consequences. If they don't learn to take
risks, we'll lose a generation of entrepreneurs and scientists."