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Getting Families Outside, One Adventure at a Time

free play

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, TEENS
Finding Balance Between Organized Sports and Free Play for Kids
- March 8, 2022
As our kids get older and start showing an interest in organized sports, many families struggle with finding balance. Organized sports have many positive attributes and benefits for kids. But, they are also a time commitment that can take away from time spent outdoors or with family. Today, Jen Barnes, South Carolina mom of three teenagers, is here with tips and advice for parents on how to find balance between organized sports and free play for kids.

The choice to play sports

For many of us parents, we are living in a world where most of life is filed into the either/or categories. It appears to be no different when looking for a balance between play and organized sports. You either choose for your kids to play organized sports, or you swing in the other direction and choose not to participate in structured youth sports at all.

Many parents seem to think the choice to play sports or not is a clear “either/or” decision. But, I genuinely believe this can be a “yes, and” discussion, instead. The decision to play sports doesn’t have to be all-consuming. You can have kids that play sports and still make time for free play. Your kids can participate in sports and still prioritize nature and outdoor family fun. A balanced approach between the two is the sweet spot, which is what this post is about helping you find.

The difference between play and sports

While it may seem obvious what the differences are, as parents, we can often confuse play and sports. Of course, there are overlaps among both, as well. For the purposes of this article, let me define play as unstructured play or free play, either as an individual or with a group. Sports will be defined as organized sports or competitive youth sports, either as an individual or with a group.

Is it just me or do we often take the negative perspective when weighing parenting decisions? I noticed my frequent language around competitive youth sports contrasted with child initiated play as “don’t”, “can’t”, or “won’t”. As in I don’t want to trap my kids into one sport. As in I can’t structure my life around a sports schedule, or I won’t let my kids learn skills organically.

Together, let’s take a look at the plethora of positives in both youth sports and free play to see if we can marry the two and create a balanced family life for us and our kids. And for those of you who are looking for more outside time for your kids, many sports practices and games take place outside!

Benefits of youth sports

The benefits of playing sports encompass both body and mind. As kids develop physically, emotionally, and mentally, structured youth sports teams can play a vital role and teach them many important skills and values. You will find benefits of individual sports and team sports as kids progress in their skills and level of competitive play. Local youth sports can start as early as age 3 which can give kids a taste with very little commitment necessary.

Health benefits of youth sports

Youth sports organizations were created as a way to invite lots of kids into programs that work on specific skills such as running, jumping, kicking, catching, throwing, and more. The health benefits of sports are rather obvious as kids exercise their muscular and skeletal systems, often while breathing fresh air and soaking up Vitamin D. Coordination and flexibility are enhanced while simultaneously staving off risks of obesity and cardiovascular concerns.

Emotional benefits of youth sports

The emotional benefits of sports can be found in confidence building, a reduction in stress, and leadership skills. As kids are taught how to apply skills in sports, their confidence grows in what their body is capable of. The mere physical exertion creates a way for the body to eliminate stress and improves mental health in kids. Learning to be a good sportsman and to lose well and face failure is also part of emotional development that every kid needs. These are benefits to playing sports that can be difficult to replicate elsewhere.

Social benefits of youth sports

Social benefits include blossoming friendships, and a sense of belonging. Both are crucial to child development. Each of my children have lifelong friends that began on a team or in a skills class/lesson. Kids learn to cooperate and communicate with one another while working together on a sports team. Remember that youth sports participation can be an incredible way for only children to get that extra bit of peer interaction.

Community benefits of youth sports

Local youth sports and summer youth sports are also an incredible way to bring in kids from the community that may not have other opportunities to be active or get outdoors time. Coaching youth sports is also a way for parents to snag extra time with their kids if they are working full time. There are also opportunities for mentoring in youth sports, which bring the community together and provide support to families in need. My kids have gotten to play on teams with kids they never would have met otherwise. It opens up their worlds. There are organizations working hard to create positive community involvement in youth sports.

Benefits of sports in school

Another major benefits of organized sports is the opportunity for kids to represent their school. Whether an athlete is competing as an individual or on a team, there is something special about school sports. Yes, the practice and game schedules can be hectic, but the bonding among student athletes is incredible. Kids will face all kinds of developmental markers like uneven play time, inter-squad competition, and learning from different coaches in new ways. All things, if approached with a positive mindset, that will help shape kids and get them ready to leave the nest in the future. And it helps instill pride for your community and school in your childen.

Benefits of free play for kids

There are numerous developmental benefits of free play for children of all ages, and they begin at a very young age. Unlike sports, most free play starts very organically within the family structure. Parents of young children can visibly see the positive effects of free play starting in the toddler years. The effects last well into the teen years as every kid needs time to let their minds and bodies move and explore without instruction.

Physical benefits of play

Coordination and motor skills begin developing at an early age primarily through play. General movement, balance, and strength are all flourishing in the midst of free play. Most kids and parents don’t even realize they are teaching their bodies how to adapt to their play circumstances. Physical risky play is showing their bodies what they can and cannot handle as they fall down and learn how to get up and try again.

Cognitive benefits of free play

As kids play without the interference of instruction or guidance from adults, they are learning to problem solve and expanding their critical thinking skills. Natural creativity and imaginative play can flow without restriction in free play. This is where innovation can truly take shape, no matter the age. Content knowledge and memory are challenged as kids explore the outdoors world. Sensory play in the mud, water, and sand helps kids file away important information for future nature play encounters.

Emotional benefits of free play

Active free play gives kids the opportunity to express themselves without a coach or teacher telling them they are doing something right or wrong, allowing them to develop a sense of self. Self confidence builds as children experience open ended play where scores and points can be ignored or welcomed or made up! Free play also allows the release of emotions in a healthy way through running and jumping and wearing themselves out.

Finding a balance between play and organized sports

What I hope you will see is that many of the positives of structured youth sports and unstructured free play overlap and compliment one another. I can’t tell you exactly how to find a balance, but I can encourage you that a balance is achievable.

First, give those young kids all the free play time you can. Be with them outdoors and foster a love for moving their bodies and exploring the world around them while they are small. Nothing bad can come from that, I promise.

Second, let your children lead you into the organized sports world when they are ready and interested. If your daughter wants to try soccer, let her try. If your son has no interest in baseball, don’t force it. Focus on the importance of movement, not skill development. As your kids gets older and team sports become more demanding, continue to have reasonable conversations about your family’s values of time and money and how sports affects everyone. They may not like your parental decisions at this point, but they can reason and understand.

Third, a balanced family life is of the utmost importance and will look different for each family. We all have dynamics to contend with that others don’t. For example, we have three children in a 5 year span so we could not physically be in multiple places at once when they were young. That affected the decisions we made and the activities they could participate in. Finding balance in life requires boundaries and firm decisions that parents must take control to achieve.

Words of caution on burnout and injuries

A few things to keep your eye on as your kids progress and excel include injuries in youth sports and burnout in youth sports. It should come as no surprise that overuse of arms and legs can wreak havoc on kids bodies. Personally, we never allowed our oldest son to play any travel baseball because he is a pitcher. We didn’t want his arm giving out at a young age so we compromised and found team tournament play to be a good middle ground. Any child who begins a sport young and continues for years and years will face burnout at some point. Give them a break if needed. No sport needs to be a kid’s sole identity.

Another warning would be not to swing too strong in one direction or the other. A healthy balanced life should include some form of organized sports and free play, even if it’s not always. If your child tries youth sports and it doesn’t stick, don’t sweat it! We have close friends who have a child that never enjoyed organized sports, but took to rock climbing and kayaking early. Don’t get too caught up in one way is right and the other is wrong. The point of sports and play is for active enjoyment in life.

Big kids still need free play

As kids get older, it’s seems like a natural progression for them to move from free play to more structured play with rules and parameters. It’s natural and happen. But, I have also found that big kids still need space in their lives for free play. You don’t outgrow play. At times, organized sports, especially school sports, can feel like an obligation or a chore for a child. Make sure to create time for free play for your teens and tweens because their bodies and brains need that release without the responsibility.

How are you creating a balance between play and organized sports?

Additional resources:
- Tips for Spending More Time Outside with Kids
- Free Play in Spring with Kite Flying
About the author

Jen has been married to her original adventure partner, John, for 20 years. She is a mama to 3 teenagers who, although they have busy and independent lives, love to adventure in the outdoors when they can. Jen is a native of Chicago, but has lived in South Carolina for two decades and calls it home. She’s always planning the next adventure for herself or her friends, whether near or far. Hiking, kayaking, sailing with her family, or traveling the world is all about the experience and the journey. Her extroverted nature keeps her talking and smiling with anyone she meets along the way. She’s on a mission to show other busy families that traveling with teenagers is possible and fun!

You can find Jen online in the following locations:
Instagram: @gofamilyadventure
Website: Go Family Adventure
RWMC Posts: Jen Barnes
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
How to Create a Magical Day in the Forest for Children
- April 30, 2019
Forests are naturally magical places with all kinds of possibilities for creative play and exploration. Today, we have Mary Henley, UK blogger and mom of two darling littles, here sharing how she infuses magic into a forest adventure with her kids. She’ll give you all the inspiration you need to create a magical day in the forest with your children, complete with magic wands, potion and imaginative activities! This is the perfect way to spend a day exploring or use this as a starting point for a children’s birthday party theme!

Creating experiences and memories for my children is one of my favorite aspects of parenting. However, sometimes we just want to get outside to play without having to do too much planning, preparation or packing. Outdoor adventures with your kids don’t have to be elaborate or complicated to be fun for them. Sometimes the simplest things mean the most to them and allow them the freedom to play and create their own experience. Often, when children are free to roam and play surrounded by trees, they feel better, behave better and (in my experience) ask for fewer snacks!! Unrestricted nature play is a great opportunity for children to lead their own play time and work together to make it fun. Plus, it’s more relaxing for us parents, too. Win, win…right??!

A magical forest day

Today, I’m excited to share our recent magical adventure in the forest and how you can recreate this experience with your kids. On this particular day, my husband was away playing golf and I wanted to spend time outdoors with my children, Freya (5 years) and Chester (2.5 years). It was one of the first lovely sunny and warm days of the year and we were all ready for an adventure.

We decided to design a day that was all about finding magic in the woods. We chose to go to the woods in the New Forest in Hampshire, UK. Such an amazing place, although to be honest all forests are beautiful. There is something so majestic and wonderful about trees, and calming too. I’ll tell you more about that in a bit.

Some of the magic of our day was “inspired” by me, but most aspects of our magical day were straight from the forest and took care of themselves. Very little planning was involved – just enough to add some magical touches, but still give the children the freedom to play and create. I’m sharing plenty of ideas below that you can pick and choose from to create your own adventure. And no matter what you choose to incorporate, I promise that you will all benefit from the magical wonder of just being in the forest.

Gather your magical ingredients & supplies

Before you head out into the woods, grab a few of these simple household items so that you can create some magic! These will be the supplies for making a few magic wands and some magic forest potion.
- Ribbon scraps cut into similar lengths. Choose all different colors, widths, and patterns and stuff them all into a jar, bag or basket. Feel free to get the children involved in this part of planning, too. Scissor skills in action!
- Glass or plastic bottles (small size with lid). You’ll need one bottle/jar for each child. If you have time, let the children decorate these with stickers, gems, paint, etc. before you go to help build the excitement (and keep them occupied while you are packing the car!).
Now, all you need to do is decide which forest area you will go to and grab your go-to snacks, packed lunch and drinks!!

Magical wands

When you arrive at your forest destination, look around for a table or bench. This is a great place to make the magical wands before heading too far into the woods. Making a magic wand is simple and creative. First, the children will need to go on a treasure hunt to find some twigs. Next, let each child choose their ribbons and tie them onto the twigs. If your kids are old enough, encourage them to do this themselves, while little ones may need your help.

Freya watched me tie the first one and then she went on to make 3 more wands. As she learned how to do it she got very excited and was incredibly pleased with herself! My two waved their wands around the entire day. They didn’t want them out of their sight for long. And after your magical day, they can even take them home as a memory of the day and to show their friends at school.

Beware: magical wands can turn you into anything! Some of ours were used to grant wishes! Sometimes they were used to turn me into all sorts of animals, which I had to then act out! Such a great exercise for the imagination and so much fun! Freya was convinced her wand made her run faster! You never know what powers your child’s wand will possess.

Magical forest potion

There are plenty of natural treasures to find on the forest floor. These magical items will be the starting point for making a magical forest potion! While you’re out exploring the forest, have your children collect any small treasures they can find. Add some water to the bottles/jars you brought along and then add your treasure! While we were out, we found tiny fir cones (so cute!), pine needles, mud, stones, tiny twigs, acorn shells, pebbles and leaf debris.

Combine all your treasures into your potion, give the bottle a swish (great fun jumping up and down while doing this) and then away you go! Let them explore the woods armed with a magical wand and magical potion! Think of all the things they could do! Let it all unfold and enjoy the magic you’ve helped create!

Mindfulness

I always like to add a few minutes of mindfulness exercises to our day when we need a moment to gather our thoughts or calm down. Mindfulness techniques come in handly any time anyone starts getting a bit tetchy (parents included… it happens to the best of us, right?). We sat down and took a few minutes to quietly take in our surroundings. Then have the kids name 5 things that they see, 4 things they could touch, 3 things that they can hear, 2 things they could smell and one thing they could taste. We each took it in turns. This really helped to ground us and because I was doing it as well, I enjoyed the calming benefits, too. It was a nice way to refocus and reset for everyone.

Benefits of being in a forest

Being in nature is great for us in so many ways, but being in the forest is very special. Spending time in the forest has been found to reduce stress, anxiety, depression and anger, strengthen our immune system and boost overall wellbeing. Wow!!!

There is a higher concentration of oxygen in the forest, according to Japanese medical doctor and researcher Qing Li, compared to an urban setting. Exposure to the plant chemicals, that are part of their defense system, has measurable health benefits for us. Benefits such as a reduction in physiological stress, lowered blood pressure and heart rate. Evergreen forests are particularly beneficial for our health. You sleep better when you spend time in a forest, even when you don’t increase the amount of physical activity you do.

It is simply enough to just be in the forest. Nothing additional is required! You do not have to walk or jog or do anything other than exist! However, chances are you will all naturally move around the forest. Whether you are hiking, wandering or not…we all know it’s pretty hard to sit still when you have children around. But just know that this experience is good for all of you, no matter what you end up doing.

This all sounds great, doesn’t it? What are you waiting for?

Yoga/grounding pose

Another fun activity to do on your magical forest day is to have your children become the forest! Ask your children to stand like a tree. Have them show you how strong the tree is by standing straight, imagining the roots are pulling your feet firmly down onto the ground. They could start off with arms by their sides and then show the branches with arms out, keeping feet firmly grounded still. It might then get a bit windy, and their branches sway, but they mustn’t fall over!! The parents could be the wind and see if they can blow them over. Really great fun and gets those imagination juices flowing!

Fun with leaves

If it’s the right time of year, have fun with the leaves in the forest. Have the kids try kicking piles of leaves or throwing leaves in the air! Running about and jumping in the leaves. Making a pile of leaves and jumping on it or twirl around like a tornado. Cover up your wellies with fallen leaves or bury yourself in leaves. We had great fun picking up handfuls of leaves and throwing them up in the air. We were then showered with leaves, wearing leaf wigs as they settled in our hair! Great exercise!

Den building

Den building is a great way to make a trip into the woods magical and get the whole family involved. It’s also a challenge for everyone and involves working together as a team. Have your kids choose what kind of den to build and how big it’ll be. Will it be small and just for fairies or toys? Or will it be big enough so you can all have your picnic lunch in it? Will it be a lean-to or a teepee style?

Den building is a great activity for all ages, particularly teenagers get a lot out of this, making it as challenging and big as they can. There were some 12-13 year-olds near us dragging great big fallen branches across the ground to make their den out of. They were having so much fun doing this and their parents ended up joining in too! The branches can be smaller for younger children.

Finding shapes and faces in trees

Isn’t it lovely how children notice things that adults don’t? They have such an amazing imagination. Put it to work finding the magic in the forest and you’ll be amazed at what is right in front of you that you might not be seeing! Freya was climing a tree and stopped and said, “Look! Look, there’s a face in the tree!” And there was! The bark and branches gave the appearance of a face, which only she noticed. This started our game of spotting what we could see in the tree bark. This is so much fun and imaginations go wild! A rabbit and bear were also found!

Reflecting on the day

At the end of the magical day, be sure to spend some time talking about and reflecting on the things you experienced and the values that were shown during your time outside. For those of you with children at school, I expect each has their own school values. Freya is in Year R, so we have heard about these a lot while she has been learning about them. This was a lovely way to pass the journey time on our car ride home and we felt good about all that we had done. If you find you have sleepy children on the way home (quite possible with all the fresh air and exercise) this could be done at home afterward, maybe chatting about it over a family dinner.

Demonstrating values
- Collaboration – working together to help each other find the ingredients for the magical potion.
- Reflective – deciding what the fairy wand will look like, what ribbons to use. Also, deciding what will fit into the bottle for the potion (Chester learned that the big fir cones couldn’t be pushed into the bottle!).
- Persevering – climbing trees when it was difficult and finding alternative ways to get up. Learning how to tie a knot in the ribbons when attaching to the twigs and then keeping trying to do it themselves.
- Creative – how to make their magical wands, making adventures with their wands and potions.
- Respectful – listened to Mummy when she was showing how to tie ribbons. Listening while each took their turn with the mindfulness.
- Caring – Freya helped Chester tie ribbons on his wand. When Chester fell over, Freya ran to him to see if he was ok.
About Mary

Mary lives in Hampshire, UK with her husband and two children. She is passionate about wellbeing and creativity. She’s a country girl at heart and loves the outdoors. Mary especially loves making things out of twigs and natural finds picked up during walks. Follow Mary on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with her latest creations and other passions. Mary’s entertaining and inspiring blog, Rose and Lewis, is a great read for craft ideas for your home and to make with children, plus, parenting and wellbeing tips and more outdoor family adventures.