Month: April 2025

In neighborhoods across the country, the sounds of children shouting, laughing, and making up games outside have grown eerily quiet. Playgrounds sit mostly empty except during scheduled adult-supervised events, and the once-common sight of kids riding bikes through the streets until dusk has faded into nostalgia. Something fundamental has shifted in how childhood unfolds—and not… Continue reading Reclaiming Play: Why Unstructured Outdoor Time Is Critical for Childhood Development

There was once a time when children flooded the sidewalks after school, forming spontaneous games in empty lots and front yards, only returning home when the streetlights flickered on. Today, such scenes are increasingly rare. Children are now far more likely to spend their afternoons indoors, tethered to screens or guided through adult-supervised activities. For… Continue reading Community-Backed Independence: How Neighborhoods Can Support Free-Range Childhoods