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Why playing matters for kids

The games may have changed over time, but childhood is still all about fun

April 11, 2010
by KATIE ANDERSON
The Courier-News

Whether it comes in the form of a game of kickball at recess or make-believe in the backyard at home, play matters. The happy staple of childhood is more than fun, experts say. Play is a crucial part of growing into a healthy adult.

"Children have to communicate effectively with one another in order to play together," explains Jack Cronin, a veteran physical education teacher in District 300.

We asked readers where some of their favorite places to play were around the Elgin area. and here's what they said:

  • Lords Park: "LOTS to explore and totally FREE for the youths!" - Laurie Faith Gibson-Aiello via Facebook.com
  • Ryerson Park: "I went here right in the summertime to play. It was close by and I loved playing in the sand." - frankwolftown via Google Map
  • Pennies on the train tracks: "Our parents always gave us coins to go put on the tracks n'smash as freights went by. It was more fun than playing on the tollway. ;-)" - Elginet Photos (Bill O'Neill)
  • Rocket ship slide: This in Kehoe Park in St. Charles located on Prairie Street was mentioned as a favorite place to play by several @couriernews Twitter followers
  • Rocket ship slide II: "Most of my childhood memories are on the rocket ship slide at Wheeler Park in Geneva. The park is still there, but the rocket ship slide has been gone for many years. But I still remember how proud I was when I was finally old enough to go down the slide by myself." - Billie Moffett via Facebook
  • Tyler Creek: "Swim and playing in the creek all summer." - Karyn via Google Map

- Do you have a favorite place to play? Add it to our Google map. and view the places Courier-News readers have tagged as their faves.

With more than 60 parks dotting Elgin and 30-some places to play within the Dundee Township Park District, area families and children have more defined recreation and playground space than ever before.

"When kids play, they're interacting with each other, making up their own rules and learning very good skills to help them later in life," he said.

Cronin has taught special education and physical education in five schools during his 30-year tenure with District 300. He has spent his career working with and observing children, and has monitored countless recess periods, he jokes. Cronin has seen first-hand the difference play time can make in a child's development.

When children play, Cronin said, they must come up with rules, cooperate and solve problems. This leads to development.

Unfortunately, good old-fashioned "run around outside" play time has decreased on a national level during Cronin's career.

While historically, education experts have appreciated play for its ability to foster intellectual and social development, many national health campaigns now are latching on to activity for its physical benefits and trying to bring playtime back.

The NFL's PLAY 60 program and Let's Move!, initiated this February by first lady Michelle Obama, both focus on fighting recent epidemic levels of childhood obesity through the promotion of play-filled days for kids and teens. The programs were started in response to a 2009 study by the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation which announced about 1 in 3 children in America were overweight or obese.

Illinois, in fact, ranked the 10th-highest in the country for overweight kids. About 35 percent of children ages 10-17 in Illinois are overweight or obese, according to the report.

The number-one tip for keeping America's kids healthy? Good old-fashioned "tag, you're it"-type fun. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends at least 60 minutes each day.

The target might not sound like much, but in a society where it is estimated that kids between the ages 8-18 spend an average 7½ hours using television, video games, cell phones and computers, each day playtime sometimes gets lost, according to statistics from a 2010 Kaiser Family Foundation report on media consumption among America's children.

Getting outside and playing matters now more than ever, experts say.

To get a better idea of how playtime has evolved over the years in the Elgin area and how the places to play themselves have changed, The Courier-News brings you three snapshots of play in Elgin. The first looks at the wilds of the Fox Valley 90 years ago; the second from the end of an "easier" time to be a child 50 years ago; and finally, a snapshot of what kids are playing today.

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