09/20/2025
We are scared of the wrong things...
We worry about skinned knees and climbing too high, while overlooking the real danger quietly unfolding.
Children are moving less than ever before, even though movement is what builds both the body and the brain. Only about one in four children meet daily activity recommendations, and outdoor free play has dropped by more than half in recent decades.
And when children are outside, they are rarely given the freedom their bodies and brains need. They are hovered over, directed, redirected, and told “be careful” every other minute. Instead of climbing, leaping, and testing their limits, they are being micromanaged.
Meanwhile, screen use is at an all-time high.
Preschoolers now average over two hours a day, and older children often five or more. Constant screen time drains the developing nervous system, disrupts sleep and dopamine regulation, and leaves children still, sedentary, and emotionally flooded (and disconnected from others).
In trying to prevent every hurt, we’ve stripped away the very experiences that wire children to handle the world. Running, climbing, crashing, wrestling, and recovering build balance, coordination, emotional regulation, and resilience. Without this, children are left fragile in every way, with adulthood being far more challenging than you'd imagine.
We are bubble-wrapping childhood and calling it safety, while it is quietly costing them their strength, confidence, and trust in themselves (short and long term consequences).
This is the conversation we need to have.
Join us next Wednesday (9/24) for our live webinar Brave Play: Risk, Weapons, Destructive Play, and the Freedom to Explore (part 3 in the summer of play series).
A full recording will be sent to all registrants so you can watch anytime.
Free Registration: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_gauhhsCsR7usaSLppZn5vw
Catch up on Parts 1 & 2 and get certified for any or all three: https://www.weskoolhouse.com/store-webinars
