Children Today Are Lacking Imaginative Playtime, According to Experts

The world may face a shortage of athletes, entrepreneurs, and inventors in the future, according to predictions made by experts because of a current alarming trend among children – the lack of imaginative playtime.

Today, children do not often engaged in “free play” or unscheduled playtime, said futurist Mark Stevenson. As a result, its preventing them from developing “innovative thinking” and unleashing their “creativity and full potential,” an online report pointed out.

Children these days have very little time for imaginative play, according to Mark Stevenson.

In a study conducted among 2,000 parents by Petits Filous, we learn that 1 out of 5 children have scheduled time for activities and clubs but almost none for free play.

Ironically, 8 out of 10 parents acknowledge the value of imaginative play while 6 out of 10 believe free play does inspire creativity. Others even pointed out how its important for improving kids’ focus and enhancing cognitive ability.

The world needs “radical innovators” in the future but parents today are “curtailing” childhood creativity.

Stevenson said:

“This is about reclaiming one of the bedrocks of creativity and innovation – free play.

“From our neurological development through to our ability to handle complexity and change, play is a foundation that, if taken away, severely limits our abilities and potential.

“We need a generation of radical innovators and we won’t get them if we curtail their creativity from childhood.

“Reclaiming play, therefore, is one of the most crucial steps we can take in re-imagining ourselves for the future.”

Playing with others is still better than playing with a tablet!

Instead of spending hours on a mobile device, it is still way better for children to play with household objects – especially if they do it with their friends.

As Stevenson said:

“Children (like most of us) learn best within a social context.

“A couple of kids creating a rocket out of a cardboard box is far healthier developmentally than any ‘learning game’ on a tablet.”

A word of advice: don’t throw those cardboard boxes.

Petits Flous has since collaborated with Amazon Pantry to “help give children more opportunity for free play” by encouraging parents and caregivers to turn their sights to cardboard boxes as effective tools for imaginative play.

Mark Brown, UK&I Marketing Director for General Mills & Yoplait, remarked:

“At Petits Filous we believe a little less structure and a lot more play is crucial for helping kids learn more about the world, and themselves.”