Do kids today know how to play?
In a world where screens dominate attention and digital games replace hands-on experiences, interactive play—the kind that engages the body, sparks the imagination, and fosters real connections—seems to be fading away.
But is this an inevitable fate, or can we reignite children’s love for true play? How can we create spaces that inspire curiosity, creativity, and collaboration beyond the virtual world?
Kids are born to play; they are born to develop through interactive experiences. When they are young, everything is new to them. They want to touch everything and use their senses to study the environment. Their minds are open to trying, absorbing, and developing in all fields.
Curiosity is a vital part of children's cognitive development.
It helps them explore their surroundings, understand connections between objects, and build essential learning skills. The brain forms neural pathways through repeated exposure to new experiences.
When children quickly grow bored, it can strongly imply that they somehow forget how to enjoy and stretch the moment. Instead of being enthusiastic and immediately finding the beauty in simple things, they constantly crave new stimuli.
This behavior is often typical of children who spend hours of passive screen time, choosing it over activities that require physical and/or mental effort. In many cases, they lose the natural drive to be curious and passionate about actions that foster their overall development and support their healthy growth, such as sports activities, social interactions, imaginary play, etc.
A glimpse into the future
The rapid development of artificial intelligence and the technologies associated with it have a significant impact on the labor market. Many studies focus on the effects of technology on the job market, and the role of creativity has become increasingly important, especially when it comes to professions that deal with tasks that cannot be automated.
Studies by the OECD and the World Economic Forum indicate that many fields, particularly jobs that require repetitive tasks (such as data creation, logistics management, simple analysis, etc.), are at high risk of automation. This requires workers to develop creative skills and the ability to adapt to rapid changes.
A McKinsey report (2017) notes that creativity is one of the areas expected to grow in importance in the age of automation. Computers and artificial intelligence will not be able to replace human power in creating new solutions, original thinking, and deep understanding of connections between different fields. This is especially true in art, marketing, and technological innovation professions, where creativity is a crucial factor.
Studies by Harvard Business Review and Deloitte discuss how "soft skills" such as interpersonal communication, creative problem solving, and the ability to work in teams will become the most critical in the future job market. These skills cannot be built by algorithms, which is why they are becoming a valuable asset.
The benefits of maintaining a playful, creative childhood
We don’t wake up one day as adults equipped with skills we’ve never acquired.
Children who continue engaging in experiential play as they grow older retain vital life skills. Experiential play, which involves hands-on, imaginative, and interactive activities, fosters abilities such as problem-solving, creativity, resourcefulness, and adaptability. These play experiences allow children to explore different roles, invent scenarios, and make decisions, all contributing to their cognitive and emotional development.
By maintaining a connection to playful, exploratory worlds, children strengthen their capacity to initiate projects, innovate solutions, and approach challenges creatively even as they mature.
These skills are crucial throughout life, as they help individuals navigate complex situations, think outside the box, and remain flexible in a rapidly changing world. These skills are naturally developed through play, but children often don’t realize their significance to their future growth and success.
5 elements that engage children with interactive play
Joyful engagement is the key to activities that support children's healthy development.
Without this essential spark, our ability to captivate their attention and enthusiasm diminishes significantly—while screens will always remain the more enticing option in their eyes.
Recognizing that curiosity is an innate and essential part of development, our role is to nurture that curiosity and guide children toward rich, engaging experiences beyond the screen.
5 fundamental elements, each valuable on its own, that create true success when seamlessly woven together are:
It All Starts with Us
Before turning our focus to our children and wondering why they spend so much of their free time on screens, we must first take a step back and examine ourselves—and the environment we create at home.
- What choices are we making on their behalf?
- Does their environment encourage exploration and play?
- How do we interact with screens when we're around them?
- What does our family dynamic look like?
Children learn not only from what we say but from what they see and experience. If they watch us constantly absorbed in our phones, why wouldn’t they want the same? If we hand them a screen every time they get in the car, why would they look out the window and develop curiosity about the world around them?
The way we engage with our surroundings shapes theirs. When we create a home that fosters connection, creativity, and real-world experiences, we naturally guide them toward a more balanced and fulfilling childhood.
Early Exposure – Opening Doors to Discovery
We can only know how we feel about something once exposed to it. The same happens with children. There is no such thing as a child without interests. Our role as adults is to help them discover what sparks their curiosity and interests them.
Introducing them from an early age to various experiences and activities—for example, different types of ball games, hands-on exploration of multiple materials, shared reading of age-appropriate books across diverse themes, and engaging with developmental games like puzzles and building sets—broadens their world.
This exposure helps children discover what excites and engages them. It allows them to develop a natural affinity for specific activities and build a personal repertoire of interests—a foundation of enriching, screen-free experiences that they are naturally drawn to.
The Balance Between Challenge and Success
People love to succeed at what they do—but they enjoy success even more when overcoming a challenge rather than something too easy.
Boredom often arises when there’s a mismatch between a child's abilities and the difficulty level of an activity. Children tend to feel bored when a task is too easy, making it quickly uninteresting. On the other hand, they may also express boredom when something feels too difficult, as the likelihood of success seems out of reach.
The key is to provide just the right level of challenge—something that pushes them forward but remains achievable. This balance reduces frustration, minimizes avoidance and resistance, and keeps children engaged.
The Abundance Found in Less
Overflow is never beneficial—too much food, too much work, and too many stimuli... The same principle applies to toys. Children do not need endless toys to stay engaged; in fact, an overload can lead to confusion, difficulty focusing, and, in some cases, even abandonment of play altogether.
They also don’t need the most expensive toys. On the contrary, children have an incredible ability to recognize the potential in everyday objects and turn them into sources of entertainment for extended periods. A simple box can become an entire world of imagination, and a handful of sand at the beach or in the playground can provide hours of joy.
The more we embrace the hidden value of "less" and offer children opportunities to explore it, rather than continuously buying new toys that quickly lose their appeal, the more we nurture creativity. Children will learn to appreciate, invent, and find wonder in the simplest things—turning a little into a world of endless possibilities.
Together works better
Exposure to a rich social environment, where children interact with peers their age and those older and younger, is essential for their overall development. Meaningful social interactions encourage long-term engagement beyond screens and help children cultivate vital life skills.
Through play, conversation, and shared experiences, children learn how to communicate effectively, navigate social dynamics, and develop emotional intelligence. Interacting with a diverse range of age groups teaches them empathy, patience, and adaptability—whether by learning from older children or guiding younger ones.
This social engagement also fosters teamwork, cooperation, and problem-solving abilities, as children collaborate on activities, negotiate roles, and find creative solutions together. Moreover, such interactions provide a sense of belonging and connection, reinforcing self-confidence and emotional resilience.
Ensuring children have ample opportunities for real-world social experiences creates a strong foundation for their emotional, cognitive, and social growth—allowing them to thrive in a world far beyond digital screens.
In Summary
It is more than possible to help children at any age push their play boundaries and fall in love again with the interactive play that supports their holistic development.
They simply need a suitable environment to explore and fulfill their potential beyond screens.
Good luck!