Singapore parents may sign their children up for camps and enrichment lessons during school holidays, but too many structured activities may do more harm than good, says Dr Cynthia Lim of the Singapore University of Social Sciences.
Well-meaning parents may think that enrolling their children in enrichment activities will allow them to learn important skills and remain competitive in today’s fast-paced world. SINGAPORE: “I’m going for a robotics camp this week,” declared Justin, my 9-year-old neighbour when I asked him where he was off to one morning at the start of the June holidays.- swimming, drums, art - to keep him occupied.
Executive functions include the ability to plan, achieve goals, and practise self-regulation and flexible thinking required in problem-solving. Free play is essential to a child’s mental and emotional well-being. Studies have shown that having downtime helps regulate the child’s nervous system, so they are better able to adapt to the environment, stress and life’s challenges.
Activities like colouring, drawing, Lego construction, and Play-Doh, water and sand play are ideal for children to explore without adult direction, but with some supervision depending on the age of the child.
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