Let Them Play

Open-ended play is critical for your child’s development, but what does that mean? Experts explain how you can help your little one.

- Nikki Fung

Is there a difference between building a Lego structure according to the instruction booklet, and creating an original design from your imagination? Turns out there is.

The latter is an open-ended play experience – one that is not led or directed by adults. It’s the type of play children should be engaged in to grow and learn, say experts.

But the problem is, kids are doing less of it than ever before. A 2013 study found that children aged three to six have a play gap of nine hours per week.

That is, they have nine fewer hours of open-ended play per week than their parents had. The study, conducted by Playeum, an independent non-profit organisation that promotes play and creativity for children in Singapore, surveyed 101 parents.

What does this trend mean for you? Young Parents asks the experts for their advice.

So, what’s behind this play gap?

Sumitra: One thing is that we live very hurried and busy lives – not only in Singapore, but also globally. So, we are quite busy and stretched for time, and our children are also increasingly doing more and more extracurricular activities after school.

The other thing is that our environment is very structured. If you look at our playgrounds, our schools and even preschool areas – all of them have rubberised mats.

Of course, that’s to maintain hygiene and cleanliness but, at the same time, it’s a very different experience from playing on grass and mud, or if there are big trees in playgrounds with a lot of branches and twigs, or if there is sand or an area with water collecting in the ground. And that limits what children can do in the environment.

The third thing is safety. Parents are becoming increasingly concerned about child safety, and they’re too afraid of letting their kids fail or get injured.