6 Activities That Are Actually Good for Kids

I have worked with many families and have found that most parents, like me, want to raise children who are happy, motivated, kind, motivated, and independent. To achieve this goal, we often feel like we need to keep doing more—buying as many educational toys as possible, signing them up for multiple extracurricular activities, or teaching them a long list of things so they don’t will fall behind.

As a mom of three children ages 5 and under and a public school teacher who advocates for purposeful and independent play, I firmly believe that parents should know that less is more when it comes to toys, activities, and (even) instruction.

Below I’ve summarized six often-overlooked activities that build the cognitive, social, and emotional skills children need to thrive.

Encourage free play with simple toys

One of the most overlooked activities for encouraging substantial learning is entirely child-led play. Through this type of play, I have found that children can learn the soft skills needed to succeed beyond academics. I believe that allowing children time to play with friends, siblings, or on their own without any guidance or guidance from adults is crucial to a child’s development.

Parents often feel like we need constant interaction or entertainment, but it’s important to understand that adult-led activities are not free play. So step away from the Pinterest idea, pull out a few boxes, some Legos or wooden blocks and let your kids play with them on their own.

Find time to play outdoors

Outdoor activities are important for physical and mental development. Being in nature helps my children develop important skills such as listening, attention to detail, emotional regulation, and cooperation. Independent outdoor play in natural environments such as puddles, dirt, rain, snow, sand, and grass can provide amazing natural sensory experiences—the more children get these types of experiences, the better.

Allow healthy risk-taking

Healthy risk-taking is when children are allowed to participate in activities that may appear dangerous but are handled safely under adult supervision. I firmly believe this allows our children to learn how to manage risk as they grow up. A lack of opportunities for risk-taking may lead to fear or aggression.

Taking risks with children does not mean engaging them in dangerous, life-threatening activities. Healthy risk-taking behaviors can be running at high speeds, spinning and falling, playing rough, rolling down hills, and jumping from heights, which may make parents nervous but are ultimately safe. Anything that causes a bit of fear they have to learn how to deal with.

So when you find yourself tempted to step in and tell your child to “be careful,” my advice is to consider taking a step back. Giving them more freedom to climb a slide, jump off the couch, or balance on a fallen tree is a simple way to help them build confidence, resilience, and mental and emotional strength.

Give children time and space away from adults

While older children need time to play independently, they also need space away from adult sight. In my experience, in order for kids to get into the flow of play, they need a lot of uninterrupted time. Consider where in your home you can dedicate a space where your children can have time to focus on playing separately from you.

Remember, it’s not your responsibility to entertain your kids all day long; it’s their job to play. Once you’ve determined that they have the time, space, and materials they may need, practice enthusiastically telling them “Go play!” and trust that they will rise to the challenge.

Involve children in your daily life

Practical life skills, also known as chores, are anything but “chores” for kids. Children are natural helpers. They want to be involved in our daily lives, and as a mother, I believe their involvement is very important. Doing this gives them a sense of responsibility and a chance to feel like they are contributing to the family.

Practical life skills also help develop gross skills. For example, clearing leaves, shoveling snow, or carrying a laundry basket all require the combined efforts of large muscle groups. Fine motor skills are developed by peeling clementines, pouring water from a small pitcher, or spreading jam on toast. Fine motor skills and executive functions are skills that should be developed early, and research even shows that children who develop these skills early in life are more likely to perform better academically.

Don’t be afraid of boredom

By embracing boredom, we allow our children to develop their own ability to create fun and engage in activities without our help. I believe boredom is where children learn to deal with and overcome discomfort, and where they begin to find their sense of self. Having more downtime gives children the opportunity to solve problems on their own, learn what brings them joy, and helps develop creativity, independence, and self-reliance.

Try building some unplanned time into your day, or intentionally not bringing toys or activities with you on short road trips, waiting in line at the store, or eating out. Start small and help them build tolerance—you’ll be surprised at your children’s budding creativity when they have time to get bored.