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School’s out for summer: It’s time to loosen the leash on your kids, say experts

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Mariana Brussoni fondly recalls when she was a kid growing up in urban Calgary, Alta. in the late ‘70s and ‘80s that she and her pals would go down and play near the Bow River, collecting garter snakes. They would often just hang out by the river, throwing rocks in the water, cycling along the path and lying in the sun.

These days, if someone saw children picking up snakes near a river they might call child services and/or the police. This change in parental attitudes towards free play is not necessarily good for our kids, says the lead author of a study that was recently published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

The study was a systematic review of 21 relevant papers and found that children who participated in "risky" physical activity such as climbing and jumping, rough and tumble play and exploring alone, displayed greater physical and social health.

Brussoni, an assistant professor in the University of British Columbia’s School of Population and Public Health and Department of Pediatrics, also happens to be a mother to two young children, so she understands the urge to protect your offspring. But she says her study shows trying to protect kids from ever getting hurt might be hurting them in the long run.

Francine Ferland, an emeritus professor in occupational therapy at the Université de Montréal and an expert on play and child development, agrees with that assertion.

“Play is the work of children,” said Ferland in a phone interview with Yahoo Canada.

Free vs. structured play

Ferland notes that children used to be allowed to engage in lots of free play up until recent decades. While parents today tend to think structured play, such as swimming lessons, are more beneficial to children than free play, the expert says that’s just not the case.

Free play lets kids exercise some autonomy, work on their social skills and become emotionally tougher, she notes.

Michael Ungar, a leading resilience expert, says letting your kids run around in the yard and scrape their knees occasionally does indeed help them become more resilient. Ungar, who is also a family therapist and professor of social work at Dalhousie University, notes that doesn’t mean you just let your kids randomly wander around on their own all day while you’re at work.

Your child, your rules

Brussoni concurs with that thinking. Parents know their children best and should slowly but surely let their kids have more autonomy over their free-play time outside during the summer break .

Perhaps, she says, let your child feel like they are running wild in the woods, while in reality the woods are the trees just behind your backyard, where you can monitor what they are doing while letting them enjoy the feeling of having a memorable, active adventure.

There is no specific age when children can do specific things, like ride their bicycle around the block alone, as several factors come in to play such as a child’s maturity level and motor skills. One thing you shouldn’t let stop you from letting your child have free play? Other parents’ opinions, she says.

Don’t live in fear

“I’ve had criticisms (from parents),” said the UBC professor. “I’m pretty comfortable with it.”

For parents who are not quite as comfortable with criticism from others she suggests people get more educated about the real risks and then make and stand by their decisions. Her study was done in relation to a position statement released as part of the 2015 ParticipACTION Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth.

The statement tries to ease some common fears about letting your child run free. For one, the odds of total stranger abduction are about 1 in 14 million, the statement notes.

While it is the job of parents to protect their children, it’s also their job to teach kids to learn if they fall down they can get back up, brush themselves off and try again.

Some life lessons can’t be taught in a classroom or at a summer camp session. While not all kids will want to collect garter snakes, encourage them to soak up the sun while it lasts, urge the experts. Being outside on a beautiful sunny day with nothing in particular planned in advance can be when kids (and their parents) learn the most about themselves and what life is really all about.