Ballet classes, tennis lessons, drama clubs, karate sessions – many a parent pack their children’s day with after-school activities in good faith that they are doing right by them. But often this leaves children with little time to play.
Before you raise your eyebrows thinking about all the hours your offspring spend on game consoles, let’s draw your attention to the kind of play we are talking about – unregulated and unstructured, the way the earlier generations have played, outdoors, in the mud and sand, climbing trees, chasing butterflies, catching fish, running after animals.
Over the years, research has established the positive impact play has on children’s well-being; how it makes a difference even for children living in war-ravaged cities. This has led the United Nations to list play as one of the rights of the child. Global brands such as Omo are running campaigns to increase awareness of this right.
Adventure, imagination, flexibility and independence are all skills that children learn naturally during unstructured play, she says. Along with developing emotional intelligence and social skills, free play also boosts self-belief.
“Children who play outdoors will most likely develop better problem-solving and self-reliance to get what they need and want,” explains Dr Afridi. “This self-reliance and self-confidence will help them make decisions on their own when they enter the real world.”
Instead of relying on their parents to solve their issues, they will trust their judgement, which has evolved through experience.
Just not enough
Unfortunately, children in the UAE are not getting enough outdoor play. Saher Fahad, five-year-old Saim’s mum, makes sure her son gets more than one hour of physical activity every day, but it’s mostly indoors. “We live in an apartment that has a playroom, where Saim plays with his friends from the building,” she says.
Fahad is happy to exploit the pleasant weather while it lasts, but cites high temperatures and the lack of parks near her apartment as huge constraints when it comes to playing outdoors every day.
Implications of such constraints across the country are reflected in the findings of UAE Report Card, published by the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance.
“According to its 2016 report card, which grades countries on Physical Activity for Children and Youth, the UAE received D- to F-. Children aged six and above who do not take part in at least one hour of physical activity a day have an increased risk of heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes.”
What the grades mean is that less than 20 per cent of UAE children engage in physical activity for the recommended one hour a day.
Digital media is partly to blame for the lack of activity, with the lure of technology proving irresistible for both parents and children, especially when temperatures rise upwards of 40 degrees Celsius.
Dr Afridi couldn’t agree more. She says the heavy use of technology negatively impacts the formation of children’s identity, brain development, relationships and bodies. “Children are spending too much time in the virtual world and not enough time with real people in the real world. They are not learning about themselves or their relationships, as they are not getting feedback from their social worlds. They spend an enormous amount of time creating an online version of themselves — all this time spent on screens for academic and non-academic purposes is time spent away from real-life events and relationships.
“We know from scientific research that happiness is a result of people having deep attachments and meaningful relationships with people in their life. When children spend so much time online, they are missing out on the most essential ingredient of their happiness.”
But is it that difficult?
It’s not that hard to lead an active lifestyle despite the weather. However, it requires a change in mindset — of both parents and children. “Children look up to their parents,” says Dr Matlik. “If parents portray how important physical activity is, then children will slowly embody this attitude as well.”
Many summer mornings and evenings are still good for a quick run on the beach or a turn in the park together; you just need to make sure everyone is well hydrated.
With the UAE government too promoting an active lifestyle through events such as Dubai Fitness Challenge, there are plenty of options now — swimming, trampolining, gyms for children, boot camps, and even after-school activities.
However, the problem with these classes and clubs is that though they add up to the required one hour of physical activity, they are created, led and supervised by adults, which may not be what the children need, resulting in stressful and unhappy souls.
“Structured activities are very different from unstructured play,” says Dr Afridi. “They do not count as play. They have their own importance in brain and skill development, but they do not teach the soft skills and creativity that can come from being without a structure. Some teach teamwork within a structure, discipline, perseverance, determination and the importance of winning and losing.”
The ideal scenario would be to have a mix of structured and unstructured activities that the child feels engaged with and enjoys, giving a healthy balance and exposure to soft and hard skills, she says.
“As we move into a future where computers will take over many jobs, having knowledge is going to become irrelevant. Children who are creative, analytical problem-solvers, leaders within groups, engaging and engaged will be the successful ones. These are the essential skills learned during unstructured playtime.”
