Contributed by JC Boushh Every parent wants to provide a better future for their children, and provide them with things they never had as a child, but is this truly beneficial for healthy child development? We all want our children to be successful adults, and the key to raising children into healthy adults is allowing them to experience failure. “There is in these studies a lesson for all parents. Those who allow their kids to find a way to dea…

Contributed by JC Boushh A child’s physical environment has the ability to shape the structure of the brain and form vital neural connections that lead to increased brain functions, and in contrast so do children’s play environments. As children become more exposed to the fast paced technological lifestyle of video games, they crave novel and complex play environments that challenge and engage them beyond what they can experience in the two dime…

Contributed by JC BoushhMany teachers and school administrators feel that recess has moved from being a time of free-play and games to a time of conflicts and woes. Is the answer to restoring order during recess the addition of recess coaches?Schools around the country are adding recess coaches and structures recess to their current recess time in order to eliminate many of the problems associated with recess.Jill Vialet of Playworks based in Oa…

Contributed by JC Boushh With the school year fast approaching a new film by Paramount Pictures is ready for release on September 24. Waiting for Superman examines the current state and continuing crisis of our public education system through the stories of several students.The film’s Director Davis Guggenheim states in the film’s press release; "I made this film for and about kids and their parents, struggling to get a quality education in…

Contributed by JC BoushhSchools ban tag and dodge ball, Homeowner’s Associations forbid children from playing outdoors without adult supervision, and now British Police investigate the crime of drawing hopscotch markings with chalk on public sidewalks. When did children’s play become a crime? Many blame the death of children’s free-play on liability and the fear of litigation. While others argue that overprotective parents and sedentary lifestyl…