The phrase \u201cMum, I\u2019m going to play on my phone first\u201d has become a\ncommon refrain in many homes. After school, children are more likely to\nlie down with a gadget than run outside to find friends. It is not that\nthey dislike playing, but that they are slowly losing the spaces to do\nso.<\/p>\n
Looking back to childhoods a few years ago, the atmosphere was vastly\ndifferent. After school, village streets would fill with the sounds of\nchildren playing hide-and-seek, bentengan, gobak sodor, skipping rope,\nor simply sitting under a tree chatting. A small field, a house yard, or\neven an empty plot of land at the end of an alley would become a\nbustling gathering spot as the afternoon approached. Today, such scenes\nare increasingly rare.<\/p>\n
This change is not solely about children preferring gadgets. A shift\nin the social environment has occurred around us. Vacant land that once\nserved as play areas has been transformed into rows of houses, shop\nhouses, or car parks. Open spaces are dwindling, while community\nactivities have also changed. Neighbourhoods that were once spaces for\nshared interaction are gradually shifting into denser, more\nindividualistic areas.<\/p>\n
In social studies, the environment does not only mean forests,\nrivers, or mountains. It also encompasses the spaces where people live,\ninteract, and build social relationships. Therefore, when play spaces\ndisappear, what is lost is not just a plot of land, but also one of the\nkey learning spaces for a child\u2019s life in society.<\/p>\n
Children actually learn a great deal when playing with their peers.\nThey learn to follow game rules, cooperate within a group, resolve\ndisagreements, and accept defeat. All these experiences are forms of\nsocial interaction that occur naturally, without needing to be taught\nfrom a textbook. Unfortunately, these opportunities are now\ndiminishing.<\/p>\n
Many residential areas now have almost no open spaces for children.\nWhere house yards once felt spacious and village fields were easy to\nfind, many of these spaces have been converted into buildings.\nMeanwhile, the increasing number of vehicles makes parents worry about\nletting their children play on neighbourhood streets. As a result, the\nhome becomes the only place considered safe.<\/p>\n
When outdoor play spaces become increasingly limited, gadgets become\nthe easiest alternative. Children can still play without leaving the\nhouse, and parents feel more at ease knowing their child is supervised.\nIt is undeniable that technology offers many benefits; children can\nlearn, find information, and even communicate with friends through\nvarious applications. However, there is one thing technology cannot\nreplace: the experience of living alongside others.<\/p>\n
Traditional games, for instance, are not merely activities to fill\nspare time. Behind games like gobak sodor, bentengan, hide-and-seek, or\nengklek, there are social values that children learn indirectly. They\nlearn to cooperate, abide by mutually agreed rules, respect turns, and\nresolve small conflicts without always needing to involve adults.<\/p>\n
In the past, the residential environment was not just a place to\nplay, but also a social learning space for children. While playing with\npeers, they learned to work together, appreciate differences, follow\nrules, and handle minor conflicts directly. These simple experiences are\npart of social studies learning that occurs in daily life. As play\nspaces shrink, children\u2019s opportunities to interact with their\nenvironment and community also narrow. Consequently, they spend more\ntime in front of screens than building real relationships with friends,\neven though social values are more easily understood when experienced\nfirsthand.<\/p>\n
These values are an important part of social studies education.\nChildren do not just learn about the concept of society from books, but\nalso experience it directly in their daily lives. Various studies in\nIndonesia also show that playing with peers plays a role in developing\ncommunication skills, cooperation, and the ability to build social\nrelationships. Conversely, when playtime is increasingly spent\nindividually with gadgets, children\u2019s opportunities to practise these\nskills become significantly fewer.<\/p>\n
This change shows that technological development is not the sole\ncause of shifting play patterns. The social environment also has a major\ninfluence. As public spaces diminish, children lose places for direct\ninteraction. Yet, an environment that supports play activities can be a\nvital means for fostering attitudes of care, tolerance, and mutual\ncooperation from an early age.<\/p>\n
Therefore, bringing back play spaces is not solely the responsibility\nof parents. Schools, communities, and local governments have equally\nimportant roles. Schools can increase outdoor activities and group\ngames. Communities can revive traditional games during neighbourhood\nevents. Meanwhile, the government must ensure the availability of safe,\ncomfortable, and child-friendly open spaces in residential areas.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, children do not need fancy playgrounds to be happy. They\nsimply need a safe space to run, friends willing to play together, and\nan environment that gives them the chance to get to know one another.\nFor in truth, what has been lost is not just the fields or the trees\nthat once provided shade. What has also disappeared is the space for\nchildren to learn about being human.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/when-childrens-play-spaces-disappear-1782827615", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }