Encouraging Unstructured Free Play

Today's youth sports are highly structured, with coaches directing every move. While this teaches discipline, children also desperately need unstructured free play—like a pickup basketball game at the park or racing bikes with friends.

Free play fosters creativity, problem-solving, and intrinsic motivation because kids make their own rules and resolve their own disputes. Ensure your child's schedule isn't so packed that they lose time just to 'go out and play.'