5 Ways To Encourage Organic Play In Your Child

“Grandma! Can I go outside to play?” I almost spit out my coffee when I heard 8-year-old Caden’s jubilant request. Caden is my friend’s grandson who was visiting during his school’s Fall break. The weather was perfect for playing outside, but his request is  something I rarely hear from kids his age. Lately it seems that kids are content with watching television, playing video games or watching other people play video games on YouTube.  Watching other people play video games on a video is the most bizarre thing to me.

What happened to the exuberance of outside play? Of make-believe forts? Of bike rides until the sun went down?  What happened to exploring the woods beyond the backyard?  What happened to Redlight/Greenlight, Mother May I, Red Rover, Tag and Simon Says? As I think about the games of my youth, I remember the joy of just being a kid.  We didn’t have the worries of who liked my post, who unfriended me on social media or who didn’t respond to my snapchat. Back then, my biggest problem was getting the chain on my bike replaced before the weekend was over.  What happened to that kind of fun? Dare I say, the”right” kind of fun.

As I look back on my children’s childhood, I like to think that they had the “right” kind of fun.  The truth be told though, they had more structured activities than organic play.  As a single parent, I placed them in after school programs, summer programs and a few sports programs to ensure they received some type of physical activity.  It was my hope that at least one of the sports or activities would become a hobby that transcended into adulthood, but at the current time, that is not the case.  As a Recreational Therapist, I knew the importance of physical activity and socialization; however, I wasn’t very pro-active with organic play.

Organic play is unstructured and usually involves a kid’s imagination, running around and using their outside voices.  While being on sports team and having more structure during an activity is important, it is equally important for children to run when they can, to use their outside voices as often as possible, to learn conflict resolution on a sandlot and to let their imagination take them places beyond their bedroom walls.

Structured activities have their roles in the shaping of our young people; however, organic play teaches social skills, allows for more creativity and imagination and let kids make up their own rules or decide not to have any rules.  The thing I love best about organic play is that it allows kids to be kids without a hint of performance anxiety.

I have a confession to make.  I have never heard my 17-year old’s outside voice. She’s a naturally quiet person, so even when she’s allowed to be loud, she chooses a quieter voice – a little louder than a whisper. In her Tae Kwon Do class, her “Ki-Hap” sounds like “kihap”.  On the softball field while I heard other kids cheering on teammates, I could not hear my daughter’s voice.  I saw her mouth moving, but from the stands, I could not hear her voice. I often thought that  if she had more opportunities to use her “outside voice” during organic play, she may now not hesitate to speak louder and firmer at the appropriate time.

As I continue to encourage my teen-aged daughter to use her “whole self” with vocalization, let me encourage you to consider the following 5 ways to incorporate organic play into your child’s routine:

1. Go to the park. Do you know where the nearest park is located in your city? Go to the park and have a scavenger hunt.  Take a picnic basket and a frisbee and spend an hour or two learning how to throw that circular piece of plastic. 
2. Have a photo shoot in your own backyard. Camera phone (check), grass (check), plants (check), bugs (check).  Nature gives you a plethora of things to shoot if you open your eyes.
3.  Play Hide and Seek. It’s not just for the kids.  Try putting on blind-folds and doing it Marco-Polo style!
4.  Play Hot Potato. When was the last time you played a game of hot-potato with your kid? For those of you who have never heard of hot potato, let me explain. This game involves a ball or a bean bag that is tossed between players quickly (like when you pick up a hot potato).  When a player drops the “potato” he/she is out of the round. The game continues until only one player is standing.
5.  Last, but not least, just ask! Something as simple as, “Hey Caden! Let’s go outside to play!” He may say, “Play what?” That’s when you say any of the activities listed above. No matter what you come up with, he/she will love because you are doing it together.

One of the things I’m looking forward to as a grandmother is providing opportunities for my grandkids to have organic play.  It is my desire to introduce them to Red light/Green Light, Mother May I and Simon Says.  I envision us in the backyard catching fireflies and making smores because that’s what makes him happy. If you have a moment or two, I’d like to sit down with your child or grandchild and ask, “What games make you happy?”  They may not yet understand the concept of “organic play”, but given a nudge in that direction, I’m sure it’ll be something they’ll remember a lifetime.

What are some of the games  you remember from your childhood?

See you next time!