#free-play

#free-play

Everything feels heavier for them. School days are longer. Homework starts earlier. What we now call "free time" is often filled with organized sports, tutoring, or screens. Schedules, routines, and pressure have replaced the easy rhythm of childhood. It has taken a toll on the mental health of our children over the past 50 years. Anxiety, depression, and attention problems have risen sharply.

Over one in four kids isn't allowed to play alone, even in their own front yard. 71% of kids have never used a sharp knife. 45% of kids have never walked alone down the aisle of a store when their parent was in a different aisle. 56% of kids have never talked to a neighbor while alone. 62% have never walked or biked anywhere without an adult. 63% have never built a structure, like a fort or tree house, outside their home.