Creating a Culture of Play: How Schools Can Champion Free Play and Support Parents at Home

Creating a Culture of Play: How Schools Can Champion Free Play and Support Parents at Home

If you regularly read my blogs and articles you already know that I was a Deputy Head and Class Teacher for over 22 years and that’s why I’m so intersted in home and school working together.

In an era where academic performance, screen time, and extracurricular activities often take precedence, one essential element of childhood is being overlooked: free play. Unstructured, child-led play is crucial for children’s social, emotional, and physical development, yet it’s increasingly being sidelined by schools and at home. As schools seek to cultivate well-rounded, resilient, and creative students, there is a growing need to recognise the importance of free play—and to encourage parents to embrace it at home.

Here’s how schools can lead the charge in restoring the balance by promoting free play on campus and supporting parents to do the same outside of school hours.

The Decline of Free Play and Why It Matters

Over the past few decades, free play has been in steady decline. Playtimes or Recess times have been shortened or eliminated in favour of academic learning, and children are increasingly drawn to digital devices rather than engaging in outdoor play. As a result, many children are missing out on the critical benefits that free play provides, including:

Improved Social Skills:

Free play encourages children to collaborate, share, and solve conflicts with minimal adult intervention.

Physical Health:

Active play helps combat the sedentary lifestyles many children are now adopting due to screen time and structured schedules.

Creativity and Problem-Solving:

Playtime allows children to imagine, experiment, and think critically—skills that are key to innovation and leadership.

Emotional Resilience:

Through play, children experience challenges, failures, and successes, which help them develop the emotional resilience needed to navigate life’s ups and downs.

To counter these trends, schools can play a pivotal role by fostering a culture that values play just as much as academics.

How Schools Can Encourage More Free Play

Reinstate and Extend Play Time

One of the most straightforward ways for schools to encourage more play is to protect and expand play/recess time. Research shows that regular breaks for play improve concentration, behaviour, and academic performance. Schools should aim to ensure students have sufficient daily play, ideally unstructured and outside, where children can engage in creative, active, and social play.

Create Play-Friendly Environments

Schools can create environments that invite play, both indoors and outdoors.

This can include:

• • Playgrounds with open-ended play equipment that encourages imaginative and cooperative play.
  • Loose parts such as blocks, ropes, and other non-prescriptive materials that encourage creativity and problem-solving.
  • Nature spaces where children can explore, climb, dig, and invent games, fostering a deeper connection to the natural world.

Incorporate Play-Based Learning in the Curriculum

Play doesn’t have to be confined to playtime. Schools can adopt play-based learning methods in the classroom, where children are given opportunities to explore, create, and learn through hands-on activities. From role-playing historical events to building structures in science class, incorporating play can enhance engagement and deepen understanding.

Host Play-Related Workshops for Parents Schools can organise workshops and events that highlight the importance of free play and encourage parents to allow more unstructured time at home.

These workshops could cover topics like:

• • The benefits of play for cognitive and social development.
  • How to set boundaries for screen time to make room for active play.
  • Fun, easy ideas for promoting play at home, both indoors and outdoors.

Participate in National or Global Play Initiatives

Schools can also participate in initiatives like World Play Day or Global School Play Day, which promote the importance of play in schools and communities around the world. These events help raise awareness and can serve as a catalyst for change within school communities, inspiring both educators and parents to prioritise play.

Engaging Parents to Support Free Play at Home

While schools can do much to promote free play during the school day, the effort must continue at home. Parents play a crucial role in encouraging their children to engage in unstructured, creative play instead of relying on screens or highly scheduled activities. Schools can take a proactive role in guiding parents with the following strategies:

Encourage Daily Playtime Schools can communicate to parents the importance of carving out time each day for unstructured play. Whether it’s 30 minutes after school or longer periods on weekends, children need time where they are free to explore and play without direction.

Educate on the Importance of Balance Many parents feel pressure to keep their children constantly busy with structured activities like sports, tutoring, and clubs. Schools can help parents understand the importance of balancing these activities with free play, where children are in control of their time, space, and creativity.

Provide Play Suggestions Schools can offer parents simple ideas for fostering play at home, such as:

• • Setting up a “play zone” with open-ended materials like building blocks, art supplies, or dress-up clothes.
  • Encouraging outdoor exploration, such as nature walks, scavenger hunts, or simply playing in the backyard.
  • Limiting screen time by setting clear boundaries around when and where devices can be used, freeing up time for active play.

Promote Play as a Family Activity Schools can suggest ways for families to make play a shared experience. Weekend trips to parks, family game nights, or simply going on a bike ride together can reinforce the value of movement and fun. Encouraging parents to model play themselves sends a powerful message about its importance.

Share Success Stories Schools can create a platform where parents can share their experiences and successes in promoting free play. This could be in the form of a parent newsletter, blog, or social media group, where families can exchange ideas and celebrate their children’s creativity and growth through play.

Schools and Parents as Partners in Play

As society continues to grapple with the pressures of academics, screen time, and the fast pace of modern life, it is crucial that schools and parents work together to reclaim the value of free play. Schools are uniquely positioned to lead this charge, not only by ensuring that children have ample opportunities to play during the school day but also by empowering parents to embrace play at home.

By fostering a culture of play, schools can help children develop into well-rounded individuals—confident, creative, and resilient—while giving families the tools they need to support healthy, joyful development. In doing so, both schools and parents will be creating a world where play is not just a pastime, but a cornerstone of childhood.