How nice it was to play in the street. I remember like it was yesterday. Taco, tag, police and thief, hide and seek, elastic jumping, dodgeball and many other simple games that made us come home late at night, against our parents' wishes. But this is something we hardly see these days. How many children must have heard that it is dangerous to play in the street, especially those who live in large cities? So, what do they do for fun? Simple, they end up being limited to a world of technology or to the space of the condominium where they live. The current reality also ends up leaving children away from the streets, there is a risk of kidnapping, robbery, being run over, etc.
Today's parents are very afraid that bad things will happen to their children on the street. In the playgrounds, children can play freely, but of course, with the supervision of an adult who is nearby. And schools are not left out of all this surveillance either. There are some that provide real-time images of your child.
But, according to a study done by the University of North Carolina, all this intense supervision and concern for children prevents them from developing their minds in the proper way, that is, these children do not develop in a healthy way. This type of parental behavior is called “helicopters”, which is to say that they always hover over their children.
All this change in the urban area ends up having consequences in both the emotional and physical aspects of these children, for example, causing weight gain, sedentary lifestyle and great difficulty in facing situations considered at risk.
In many cases, their motor skills do not develop properly., as well as negotiation power, balance and agility to deal with adult life problems and challenges.
Outdoor games are able to expand the limits and perceptions of sensations, movements, emotions and the surrounding space and the being. Playful games help to stimulate brain development, that is, cognitive ability.
Although we cannot forget the importance of cartoons and electronic games, it is essential that children get together to use their imagination and have fun with simple and traditional street games.
This interaction is important because it allows children from other age groups and social classes to interact socially, thus increasing their sense of sociability and responsibility. The invention of games also favors development, in addition to improving creativity.
For example, it is essential that the child takes a tumble to learn to control his body and, thus, be able to avoid a tumble in the future. It may seem very dangerous and risky to climb a tree, however, this activity teaches a lot about balance, motor coordination, decision making and emotional control. Playing circles stimulates the sense of community, the feeling of belonging to a team, a group.
When playing, children learn important lessons for life, for example, to lose (defeat will always happen), to realize that there is a need to work together to solve more complex problems, or perform some task, etc.
Therefore, even with so many dangers on the street, psychologists believe that the real danger is preventing children from taking risks.
- Text written by Flávia Faria from the Eu Sem Fronteiras Team.
