Play Builds Social and Emotional Safety

Schools that minimize play often see children who are more anxious, less collaborative and less resilient. Children need opportunities to experiment with social interactions in safe settings. This is where emotional and behavioral skills develop – skills that can prevent bullying, aggression or escalation into more serious issues.

Play also fosters a sense of agency. Children learn they can shape their environment, solve problems and recover from mistakes – essential abilities for coping with challenges both in school and beyond. In other words, play teaches safety from the inside out, not through rules, but through experience.

A Disappearing Resource

Yet play is disappearing in many schools. Curricula are crowded. Standardized testing dominates schedules. Recess is shortened. Physical education is cut. And outdoor, exploratory, unstructured play is increasingly rare.

The cost is more than physical activity. Without play, children lose a vital channel for stress release, self-expression and creativity. Their social skills, emotional regulation and problem-solving abilities develop more slowly – all factors that contribute to resilience and safety.

If we want safe schools – emotionally and physically – we must rethink the role of play. It is not a reward or a diversion; it is an essential part of the learning ecosystem.

Teachers, parents, and administrators can support play by:

Preserving unstructured recess and outdoor time
Encouraging games and activities that build problem-solving and cooperation
Creating classroom projects that incorporate hands-on, imaginative, and collaborative experiences
Recognizing that play is as educational as any lesson in math, science or language

We often treat play as optional, as something that children will “catch up on” if missed. But missing play is not neutral. It affects emotional development, social competence and the ability to manage conflict – all factors that contribute to long-term safety and well-being.

Safety isn’t just a locked door or a drill. It begins with children who are confident, capable and socially connected – and play is the training ground for those abilities.

Perhaps the most radical step we can take in education today is simply to let children play – fully, freely and intentionally.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.

by Karla Pearce

PEARCE: Why play is not optional

Play Builds Social and Emotional Safety

A Disappearing Resource

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