Peter Gray's new book says kids need free play to thrive

“Playing with other children, away from adults, is how children learn
to make their own decisions, control their emotions and impulses, see
from others’ perspectives, negotiate differences with others, and make
friends,” says Gray, an expert on the evolution of play and its vital
role in child development. “In short, play is how children learn to take
control of their lives.” 

All children are born with an innate curiosity, playfulness,
sociability and deep desire to learn, but at some point after they enter
school, what was once fun and engaging begins to feel forced, he
explains. And, anxiety and stress levels among youths are at an all-time
high: they are bogged down with homework, over-scheduled with
extracurricular activities, deprived of free play, and faced with the
pressures of getting into a top college.

“How did we come to the conclusion that the best way to educate
students is to force them into a setting where they are bored, unhappy
and anxious?” Gray asks. “Our compulsory education system features
forced lessons, standardized tests, and seems specially designed to
crush a child’s innate and biological drives for learning.” The
traditional “coercive” school model, he adds, was originally developed
to indoctrinate, not to promote intellectual growth.

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Peter Gray's new book says kids need free play to thrive