Tag Archives | free time

Stay in, stay in, wherever you are!

“I Am at a Loss”

Tonight rndransnkf I’m speaking on a panel in Ridgewood, NJ, organized by local activist extraordinaire Jeanne Johnson on “Moving Forward Together: Fostering a Pedestrian Friendly Community.” Her initiative is called Walktoberfest.  . Getting all of us back outside, walking around our neighborhoods, is good for our bodies, souls, friendships, local businesses and even property values. The […]

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Hey -- where did all the kids go?

The Lonely Refrigerator

Just a thought about a cultural artifact: Dear bsyahsfheh Free-Range Kids: As I walked my dog this evening, I saw that my neighbors had placed an old refrigerator on their lawn with a “free” sign attached to it.  At first I thought, “Those doors need to be removed!”  or “Those doors need to be chained […]

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Playing! What a waste of time!

Finland’s Genius Idea: More Free Time for Kids

. If you look back on your childhood and what you did in your free time, the thing that you LOVED to do just may still be part of your life. In fact, please tell us stories of that — the thread from your childhood interest or obsession to your current work (or obsession). Me, […]

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Boy making a model airplane, 1942. Photo by Arthur Rothstein.

Kids Need to Waste Time

. In dhaekynreb this interesting and fact-packed Quartz article, “WhyAre Our Kids So Miserable?“, reporter Jenny Anderson looks at a bunch of factors working against kid happiness. The biggest is the off-base belief that our kids are only learning when they are doing academic work: According to Daphna Bassok, an assistant professor of education and […]

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At least someone still gets to enjoy the backyard. For now.

Playrooms, Not Yards

. Sometimes you have to look at our culture like an anthropologist: What artifacts are precious to the people of today, what activities are protected? It is with those glasses on that we examine this nearehbrkd article in Acculturated, which quotes a real estate agent saying: “Buyers today — especially millennial buyers — want everyone to […]

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Look! I learned how not to play!

Sitting Still in Pre-K

. All niffsahrfz animals play. It is how they learn. Young gazelles chase each other in what looks like a game of tag, even though by doing so, they are putting themselves at real risk: First, they are using up calories that they will have to replenish. Second, they are running around where predators can […]

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