Less structure good for kids’ development

Offering children plenty of free time is better for them than rigidly planning out all their activities, a new study suggests.

Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder recruited the parents of 70 six-year-olds and asked them to record their children's daily activities for a week. Each activity was then categorised as either more structured or less structured using existing classification methods.

It was found that youngsters who engaged in structured activities like football practice and piano lessons demonstrated lower levels of 'self-directed executive function' - a measure of their ability to set and reach goals independently.

On the contrary, activities like free play, sightseeing and reading books encouraged better self-directed executive function and these children required less prompting from adults when it came to setting goals.

Writing in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, senior author Professor Yuko Munakata commented: "Executive function is extremely important for children. It helps them in all kinds of ways throughout their daily lives, from flexibly switching between different activities rather than getting stuck on one thing, to stopping themselves from yelling when angry, to delaying gratification."

Last month we reported on a study published in the journal Evolutionary Psychology that suggested children who enjoy plenty of time to play freely are more likely to experience social success as adults than their counterparts whose every waking moment is carefully scheduled. Read the article here.

Want to comment on this news story? Then sign in to our website to submit a comment. All comments are submitted for moderation.

Anyone can join the BPS, from just £10 a year. Our members and subscribers enjoy a range of benefits such as the Society's monthly magazine, The Psychologist; opportunities to influence and engage with the profession by joining a committee or taking part in consultations; online access to our journals; reduced rates at conferences and events; and on CPD courses and books; and access to a range of work and lifestyle benefits.

Further details of the different member and subscriber packages, including details of how to apply are here

Once you have joined the Society, you can access our professional and membership groups. These groups are a great opportunity to network and communicate with like-minded people with similar interests.

Open all references in tabs: [1 - 5]

Leave a Reply