Today's children are playing less and less and almost never outdoors. That is the conclusion of a recent survey survey of 2000 parents in the United Kingdom, published by The Guardian newspaper. It is added that this omission affects physical health, mainly by increasing obesity and by increasing cases of childhood anxiety.

Children do not play outdoors because they do not have the space to do so, especially in large modern cities. Moreover, games are being displaced by technological entertainment, which favors a sedentary and isolated life. They are not true games, since they lack the freedom and creativity of play. In the authentic game, the child can decide for himself its plot, its rules, its beginning and its end.

There is massive propaganda aimed at children and their parents, at topic of video games, which tends to create the imperious need to use them continuously, which can lead to addiction. The addicted child is stubbornly reluctant to leave the tablet every time his parents ask him to do so, despite the fact that he has been using it for several hours (or precisely because of that). "Pedrito, how many times do I have to tell you to come and eat? Your soup is getting cold!". It is not only a problem of disobedience; most likely the child is not aware of the successive warnings, because he is embedded in his favorite video game.

When they are selected with good moral judgment and not too much time is devoted to them, they can be compatible with traditional games. In addition, some video games promote mental agility and digital skills.

The progressive disappearance of play is closely related to the current restrictions on children's free time. Many parents, driven by a utilitarian mentality, exaggeratedly encourage "after-school activities", as shown in a cartoon:

Dad: Monday English, Tuesday computer science, Wednesday piano, Thursday English again and Friday class Chinese. Will I be able to go outside and play one day?

-Play? Don't be childish.

These parents are often obsessed with their children's professional future, considering that any preparation is not enough. They require the child not to waste time (for example, playing) and use it to accumulate more and more knowledge. They ignore the fact that playing develops competencies and prepares for life more than many of these extracurricular activities. In addition, this overwhelming schedule of hobbies and learning tends to generate stressed children.

Apparently, play is only for entertainment and enjoyment (which would be justification enough), so some parents think that by limiting it, they are helping their child to be more manager. They ignore the fact that play favors the child's integral development . Play is a universal phenomenon. All children of all times have played. Playing for what? Play is for learning. Through play, children explore, stimulate their curiosity and increase their experience.

For Edouard Claparede, Swiss psychologist and pedagogue, childhood is the age of play. To the question of what childhood is for, he answered: "childhood is for playing". Johan Huizinga published "Homo ludens" (Man who plays). It is a essay on the social function of play. He argues that the act of playing is consubstantial to human culture; without a playful attitude no culture would be possible. He adds that play is at the origin of creative activity and art. 

 Play is the child's "work" and toys are his tools; this explains why he takes it so seriously and why he does not lose his concentration. This play -work - stimulates physical and mental growth, imagination, creativity, social bonds and the will to persist. This last quality is exercised because the child does not usually give up a game until he reaches goal proposal ; he never gives up.

When Steve Jobs was director at Apple, he greatly limited the time his children spent on Ipads and iPhones to avoid harming them; he preferred that they spend more time exercising, playing outside with other children, and reading good books.

What is the future of children who do not play? In the adolescent phase they shy away from physical exercise and outdoor life. When they enter the world of work, they will require some of the emotional competencies that are initially developed through free play, such as self-control, self-motivation, work teamwork, communication and empathy. Play could be their first Master's Degree...