There is so much time that kids spend outside of school.
And yet—look closely—what do we see?
This time, this gift of childhood hours, is quietly slipping away.
Not into the joyful chaos of neighborhood games,
Not into scraped knees and makeshift forts,
But into screens. Into structured classes. Into endless productivity.
Gone are the days where kids could just casually play outdoors with their friends.
No schedule. No goals. Just pure, spontaneous fun.
Now, they juggle piano lessons, coding camps, homework marathons…
And when there’s finally a break?
A glowing device is often the only playmate available.
We don’t blame the kids.
We don’t blame the parents.
We’re all caught in the whirlwind of modern life.
But somewhere along the way, we’ve let unstructured play—
that magical ingredient of childhood—disappear.
We know how important it is.
Play that’s messy and wild and free.
Play that isn’t measured or graded.
It helps kids be kids.
It teaches them to imagine, to negotiate, to lead and to follow.
It gives them space to breathe, to create, to discover who they are.
So maybe…
It’s time we ask:
What kind of childhood are we creating?
And what would it take to bring play back?
Because if we believe in our kids,
We have to believe in their right to play.