It’s Saturday afternoon, and a child has finished their homework and wants to go outside to play. Seeing a few free hours ahead, an adult starts thinking about extra maths exercises or a weekend class, hoping to help them get ahead—especially when other children seem to be learning something new all the time. But if every spare hour becomes another lesson, when does a child get to decide what to do with their own time?
That question came to mind when I read an October 28 report about a video series from LEGO and Sesame Workshop encouraging young children to explore nature through play.[1] A programme like this doesn’t prove that more play leads to better grades, but it does invite us to look more closely at what children are doing when they play. When a child builds a little water channel in the dirt or tries to stop a tower from falling, they’re making guesses, testing them, and adjusting their approach—even if no one has called it a lesson.
Childcare.gov explains that play helps children develop language, problem-solving, and social skills, while free play lets them choose activities and explore ideas of their own.[2] Think of a few children building a house out of cardboard boxes: they have to agree on where the door should go, divide up the work, and find a way forward when everyone wants something different. There may be no worksheet to hand in at the end, but it’s hard to say they haven’t learned anything.
Still, adults who worry about too much play have a fair point, because homework needs doing and some children need extra guidance to understand what they’re learning at school. The distinction worth making is between enjoying free time after finishing a task and regularly avoiding anything difficult; treating both as “just wanting to play” can hide what’s really going on. Equally, recognising the value of play doesn’t mean every activity is equally helpful or that children never need boundaries.
I’d lean towards protecting some time for children to play and make their own choices, while paying attention to whether they’re sleeping enough, keeping up with schoolwork, and staying curious. If schoolwork starts to suffer, I’d want to understand why before cutting playtime, and if a child is managing their responsibilities, I’d need a clearer reason to add another task. Next weekend, before reaching for an extra worksheet, what might you discover by asking your child what they’d like to play?
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By Huỳnh Thanh Tân · thanhtanmit.com
Notes and sources
[1] Toys ’n’ Playthings, *Lego and Sesame Workshop team up on educational video series*, October 28, 2026. The source for the programme encouraging children aged four to six to explore nature through play; this is a programme announcement, rather than a study evaluating its effectiveness.
[2] Childcare.gov, *Supporting Children’s Learning Through Play*. The source for the role of play in language development, problem-solving, and social skills, and for the distinction between structured and unstructured play.