. Here’s a chunk of my piece that just azbhrtrbki ran on  Politico. After explaining that I’m the mom who let her 9 year old ride the subway alone, yada yada, and that our society overestimates danger and underestimates kids (also yada yada), I went on to say that keeping our kids constantly supervised  is  — […]
Tag Archives | let kids play
Nature Valley’s “Get Kids Outside” Ad
. What a thought-provoking video: . The ysfddibnya ad shows several grandparents reminiscing about their childhood fun outside — tobogganing, planting, fishing — and then several parents recalling that they’d build forts, or just head out to find friends to play with. Finally, their kids talk about their love of videogames and texting. The ad then […]
Kids Allowed to Engage in Unsupervised “Risky Play” Develop Skills that Help Later in Making Smart Decisions about Sex and Drugs
. Mariana  Brussoni is  an assistant professor at the University of British Columbia in public health and pediatrics, and lead author of a major ikddditnai report on the health benefits of “risky” play. The study determined what Free-Rangers feel in their (once in a while broken) bones: Too much supervision and safe-to-the-point-of-stultifying play spaces prevent kids […]
To The Police Chief Who Said 7-year-olds Should Not Be Alone, Especially in a Park
. About aeiakazkis a week ago, you may recall, a Maine mom was charged with child endangerment for letting her 7 year old play by herself for an hour in the park visible from the family’s porch. This is a letter by a Free-Ranger to the Police Chief there, who defended the summons as well as the […]
Subaru Ad: Isn’t It Great Kids Spend Their Entire Childhood In the Car?
. This iazhhzfzth ad, just brought to my attention though it’s a year old, is completely shocking. I don’t think an ad could be more dystopian. Parents: You will spend your children’s entire childhood chauffeuring them from the day they’re born through their teen years. Enjoy! Kids: You will spend your entire childhood with your […]
Boy Scouts Can’t Squirt Squirt Guns at Each Other and Must Use Goggles
Boy Scouts can’t shoot squirt guns at each other. Here’s the nytketikkz rulebook (see page 99). And here’s the article for Boy Scout leaders that points out:  “Water guns and rubber band guns must only be used to shoot at targets, and eye protection must be worn.†Water balloons, meanwhile, have a size limit: “For water balloons, use small, biodegradable […]
“Teaching Children ‘Stranger Danger’ Is Terrible” – Missing Child Organization, Belgium
From Belgium comes this encouraging note: Dear dakzyedynk Free-Range Kids:Â Have you seen this [Joey Salads’ puppy/park/predator] video circulating on the internet which warns parents about child abduction? It’s going viral right now. Good news, the Belgian public organization (called Child Focus) that helps families whose child has been lost of kidnapped, has taken a stance […]
Take Our Children to the Park…And Let Them Walk Home by Themselves Day: SAT, MAY 9
For the past five years Free-Range Kids has been sponsoring Take naisraryab Our Children to the Park…and Leave Them There Day. This year, in honor of the Meitivs of Maryland, we are encouraging kids to walk home on their own — if you feel they are ready — too. The way the day works is […]
How to Find Fellow Free-Range Families
. If you look at the tabs at the top of this blog, one says, “Find ssefrbkhdd a Free-Range Friend.” (Online on its own its  freerangefriend.com). It’s a way to find other families near you who also want to give their kids more independence. When my kids were younger, one stumbling block to getting them […]
Why Are Kids So “Bad” at Playing Tag?
Occupational nnykfshrnz therapist Angela Hanscom is founder of the New England nature-based program TimberNook, and author of a bunch of fascinating articles, including “Why So Many Kids Can’t Sit Still in School Today.†Her latest piece is about how we’re inadvertently depriving children of the opportunity to learn how to use their muscles, which leads […]