BC Council for Families

What is the right balance between structured and unstructured playtime for children and adolescents? Increasing numbers of parents are grappling with this dilemma on parenting blogs, in news articles, and in their homes. In 2007, as part of The Experience of Parenting Study, we asked parents in BC whether they felt their children were overcommitted to structured activities. While 59% felt satisfied with the amount of time their children spent in structured activities, a significant proportion (31%) felt their children were not spending enough time engaged in structured activities.

While research indicates that organized activities improve socialization and general wellbeing, free play supports a multitude of learning and social opportunities.  Free play allows children to learn about themselves, their environment and their place in the world, and promotes self-motivation and self-reliance in children.

Recently, Canada’s Vanier Institute of the Family explored this issue in  “'Caution! Kids at Play?’ Unstructured Time Use Among Children and Adolescents”. As the report notes, Canada’s increasing urbanization has limited children’s contact with nature, and their opportunities for free play. Childrens' access to structured activities, meanwhile, depends on their economic and social circumstances. The report calls for communities, governments and families to provide broader access to both natural and urban environments for play and recreation.