What It Means
Unstructured play is play that a child starts and runs, without an adult setting the rules, the lesson or the goal. It might be a made-up game in the yard, a fort in the living room or an hour of digging in the dirt. That sets it apart from structured play, like a team practice, a class or a game with fixed rules led by an adult. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), in its 2018 clinical report "The Power of Play," asks pediatricians to speak up for protecting children's unstructured play time.
Try It: Find the Free Play Left in a Weekday
Put in a typical weekday for your child, in hours. What's left is the time open for free play. The starting numbers are an example.
Less than an hour. Look at which scheduled item could move to another day.
The AAP sets no number of hours; this shows where the open time sits in your child's day.
How Parents Say It
- "Go outside and play, I'll call you for dinner."
- "Nothing's scheduled this afternoon, they just get to play."
- "They invented a game with a stick and a bucket."
The Breakdown
Unstructured and structured play side by side
| Unstructured play | Structured play | |
|---|---|---|
| Who decides | The child | An adult, a coach or the rules |
| Goal | Whatever the child makes up | Set in advance, like learning a skill |
| Examples | Building a fort, digging, make-believePretend playPlay in which a child acts out something that isn't real, like feeding a doll, using a block as a phone, or being a superhero. See more, inventing a game | Swim lessons, soccer practice, a craft with steps |
Both have a place. "The Power of Play" makes the case that play builds the brain, supports executive function skillsExecutive functionThe mental skills that let a person plan, focus, remember instructions and control impulses: working memory, mental flexibility and self-control. See more such as planning and self-control, and helps buffer stress, and it asks pediatricians to protect unstructured time as well as recess and physical activity.
By age. For babies and toddlersToddlerA child from 1 to 3 years old, the stage CDC's parenting guidance places between infancy and the preschool years. See more, the report's advice centers on a parent playing with the child every day, and it recommends pediatricians write a "prescription for play" at well-child visits in the first two years. As children grow, its recommendations turn to protecting playful learning in preschool and recess at school.
When to talk to the doctor. If your child seems to have lost interestInterest rateThe yearly percentage a lender charges for borrowing money, not counting fees; the APR adds certain fees to show a fuller cost. See more in playing, struggles to play at all, or rarely plays with other children, mention it to your pediatrician.
Where It Comes From
The AAP has published three clinical reports on play: "The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds" in 2007, a 2012 follow-up focused on children in poverty, and "The Power of Play" in 2018.
Good to Know
Unstructured doesn't mean unsupervised. Keep the level of watching right for your child's age and the setting, especially near water, streets or heights. The AAP's report also asks preschools to favor playful learning over drilled lessons, which is worth asking about when you compare programs.
FAQ
What's the difference between structured and unstructured play?
In structured play an adult or a set of rules decides the goal, like a lesson or a team practice. In unstructured play the child decides what to play and how.
Why does the AAP care about unstructured play?
Its 2018 report "The Power of Play" describes play as brain building, supportive of executive function skills and a buffer against stress, and asks pediatricians to help protect children's unstructured play time.
How much free play does a child need?
The AAP report doesn't set a number of hours. It recommends daily play with babies and toddlers and protected time for recess and free play as children grow.
Do It in Buhata
Calendar
Block a free afternoon each week on the Calendar in your Household Space in Buhata, so lessons and errands don't quietly fill it.
Open BuhataRelated Terms and Categories
- Open-ended play
Play with toys or materials that have no single right way to use them, like blocks, boxes or playdough, so the child decides what they become.
- Risky play
Thrilling play with a real chance of a small injury, like climbing high, going fast or rough-and-tumble games, where the child judges the risk for themselves.
- Benefits of boredom
The idea that unstructured, unfilled time can help children build creativity, problem solving and the ability to entertain themselves.
Sources
American Academy of Pediatrics, "The Power of Play: A Pediatric Role in Enhancing Development in Young Children" (Pediatrics, 2018); AAP News, "Simple prescription: Pediatricians have role in promoting healthy development through play"; HealthyChildren.org (AAP), "Want Creative, Curious, Healthier Children With 21st Century Skills? Let Them Play"; American Academy of Pediatrics, "The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds" (Pediatrics, 2007)
- publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/142/3/e20182058/38649/The-Power-of-Play-A-Pediatric-Role-in-Enhancing
- publications.aap.org/aapnews/news/13532/Simple-prescription-Pediatricians-have-role-in
- www.healthychildren.org/English/news/Pages/healthier-children-play-according-to-the-AAP.aspx
- publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/119/1/182/70699/The-Importance-of-Play-in-Promoting-Healthy-Child
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