The decay of play

I'm listening to a story on NPR regarding the nature of play, its value, and how in the latter half of the 20th century it has degraded.

First, the nature of toys has increasingly scripted the nature of play. An electronic fire truck that flashes its lights and says three phrases is likely to only be used in the context of those three phrases.

Second, an increased concern for safety has moved children into more structured activities. Extracurricular sports, music lessons, etc are directed, and typically come at the expense of free (i.e. imaginative and unregulated) play.

Third, an increased worry about testing and academic achievement has led schools to spend more time "teaching to the test", and less time in free play.

The result? According to NPR, free play builds self-regulation skills - less free play: poorer self regulation.

And in other news, the Smurfs are back.