The New York Times ?most e-mailed? list can be hilarious in its predictability; as I write, the top three articles are about restoring children's play, cost-cutting travel tips, and strengthening individual marriages (where are the stories about getting accepted to college?and yoga?). The play piece caps the list. Seems that some parents are upset that their local schools allow no time for young ones to play. Classrooms that were once filled with crayons and blocks are now filled with desks and computers. The trend away from play, the Times tells us, is occurring homes, too:
Much of the movement has focused on the educational value of play, and efforts to restore recess and unstructured playtime to early childhood and elementary school curriculums. But advocates are now starting to reach out to parents, recognizing that for the movement to succeed, parental attitudes must evolve as well ? starting with a willingness to tolerate a little more unpredictability in children's schedules and a little less structure at home.
?Liam Julian, Bernard Lee Schwartz Policy Fellow