When Children's Play Spaces Disappear
The phrase “Mum, I’m going to play on my phone first” has become a common refrain in many homes. After school, children are more likely to lie down with a gadget than run outside to find friends. It is not that they dislike playing, but that they are slowly losing the spaces to do so.
Looking back to childhoods a few years ago, the atmosphere was vastly different. After school, village streets would fill with the sounds of children playing hide-and-seek, bentengan, gobak sodor, skipping rope, or simply sitting under a tree chatting. A small field, a house yard, or even an empty plot of land at the end of an alley would become a bustling gathering spot as the afternoon approached. Today, such scenes are increasingly rare.
This change is not solely about children preferring gadgets. A shift in the social environment has occurred around us. Vacant land that once served as play areas has been transformed into rows of houses, shop houses, or car parks. Open spaces are dwindling, while community activities have also changed. Neighbourhoods that were once spaces for shared interaction are gradually shifting into denser, more individualistic areas.
In social studies, the environment does not only mean forests, rivers, or mountains. It also encompasses the spaces where people live, interact, and build social relationships. Therefore, when play spaces disappear, what is lost is not just a plot of land, but also one of the key learning spaces for a child’s life in society.
Children actually learn a great deal when playing with their peers. They learn to follow game rules, cooperate within a group, resolve disagreements, and accept defeat. All these experiences are forms of social interaction that occur naturally, without needing to be taught from a textbook. Unfortunately, these opportunities are now diminishing.
Many residential areas now have almost no open spaces for children. Where house yards once felt spacious and village fields were easy to find, many of these spaces have been converted into buildings. Meanwhile, the increasing number of vehicles makes parents worry about letting their children play on neighbourhood streets. As a result, the home becomes the only place considered safe.
When outdoor play spaces become increasingly limited, gadgets become the easiest alternative. Children can still play without leaving the house, and parents feel more at ease knowing their child is supervised. It is undeniable that technology offers many benefits; children can learn, find information, and even communicate with friends through various applications. However, there is one thing technology cannot replace: the experience of living alongside others.
Traditional games, for instance, are not merely activities to fill spare time. Behind games like gobak sodor, bentengan, hide-and-seek, or engklek, there are social values that children learn indirectly. They learn to cooperate, abide by mutually agreed rules, respect turns, and resolve small conflicts without always needing to involve adults.
In the past, the residential environment was not just a place to play, but also a social learning space for children. While playing with peers, they learned to work together, appreciate differences, follow rules, and handle minor conflicts directly. These simple experiences are part of social studies learning that occurs in daily life. As play spaces shrink, children’s opportunities to interact with their environment and community also narrow. Consequently, they spend more time in front of screens than building real relationships with friends, even though social values are more easily understood when experienced firsthand.
These values are an important part of social studies education. Children do not just learn about the concept of society from books, but also experience it directly in their daily lives. Various studies in Indonesia also show that playing with peers plays a role in developing communication skills, cooperation, and the ability to build social relationships. Conversely, when playtime is increasingly spent individually with gadgets, children’s opportunities to practise these skills become significantly fewer.
This change shows that technological development is not the sole cause of shifting play patterns. The social environment also has a major influence. As public spaces diminish, children lose places for direct interaction. Yet, an environment that supports play activities can be a vital means for fostering attitudes of care, tolerance, and mutual cooperation from an early age.
Therefore, bringing back play spaces is not solely the responsibility of parents. Schools, communities, and local governments have equally important roles. Schools can increase outdoor activities and group games. Communities can revive traditional games during neighbourhood events. Meanwhile, the government must ensure the availability of safe, comfortable, and child-friendly open spaces in residential areas.
Ultimately, children do not need fancy playgrounds to be happy. They simply need a safe space to run, friends willing to play together, and an environment that gives them the chance to get to know one another. For in truth, what has been lost is not just the fields or the trees that once provided shade. What has also disappeared is the space for children to learn about being human.