Why Downtime is Important for Kids

Downtime is not only important for kids of all ages, but essential. Busy schedules and having your kids constantly on the go without free time may be giving your child a disadvantage in basic development.

Structured activities are educational for kids and they do learn while there. However, part of a child's learning requires the child to be active on his or her own terms. Creative play initiating their imagination and curiosity of the world around them is a learning activity many children are now deprived of and can be considered abuse in some places. Everyone wants the best for their kids hence all the extra curricular activities. Some of the greatest activities to keep your little ones learning can be done at home or right in the backyard.

Using the world around them, kids learn leadership and group skills as well as social skills. In a structured setting, adults can be too involved and children don't get many opportunities to deal with conflict on their own. A free-play setting allows children to work out problems with their playmates and acquire valuable communication skills that are best learned from experience.

Babies all the way to adults have constant input and sensory stimulants. Unstructured downtime not only helps adults deal with the daily stress, but is very important for kids to have that same opportunity as well. Free-play gives kids a chance to unwind and let their brain take a break to work it all out. Everything that they have been learning will have a chance to be put to use in a way that will make sense to them. They will have the chance to apply everyday learning lessons to their personal surroundings, reinforcing all those lessons you've been paying for.

When children are left to their own devices (though supervision is always a must for safety) they have a lot of fun. Their imaginations get to run wild and come up with creative games to play which in turn makes them active. With obesity being a current trend with our youth, free-play and down-time from all the structure is a great way to keep kids moving and get good exercise. While schools may offer P.E., not all kids get the most out of it. Having to play games that they aren't good at or don't have an interest in isn't going to encourage them to participate to their full ability. Coming up with games on their own will; and if it's a game they love, they are going to give it their all and be the best that they can be.

Downtime is so important for kids to help them figure out who they are as an individual. It gives them an opportunity to discover new likes and dislikes and how to apply them in their world. As a parent, you can also benefit by using this downtime as a way to observe and bond on a closer level with your child. So get outside and let your kids turn your big yard into a new world of wonders and life lessons.