Play Is the Work: Why Summer Is More Than a Break

21 Jul Play Is the Work: Why Summer Is More Than a Break

Play Is the Work: Why Summer Is More Than a Break

By Ashley Shaw
Still Waters Psychology – Raising Champions: Ashley’s Corner

Calling all parents, educators, and coaches—what if the most important work your child does this summer… doesn’t look like work at all?

We’ve been conditioned to believe that growth comes from structure. From pushing. From performance.

But the truth is, growth often comes in the quiet moments—on a long walk, in the middle of a sidewalk chalk masterpiece, while belly-laughing over nothing in the backyard sprinkler.

Summer is not a pause on development. It’s a launchpad for the kind of growth we rarely see in classrooms or clinical spaces—emotional resilience, creative thinking, identity formation, and confidence.

The Neuroscience of Unstructured Play

Play isn’t frivolous. It’s how the brain wires for curiosity, flexibility, and problem solving.

In children, play sparks the prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain responsible for decision-making, social behavior, and emotional regulation. It’s not a reward for good behavior. It’s the rehearsal room for real life.

Children who engage in unstructured, imaginative play tend to develop stronger coping skills, empathy, and independence. This isn’t just psychology—it’s biology.

So if your child spends their afternoon building forts, inventing silly games, or pretending they’re a zookeeper… they’re not “wasting time.”

They’re expanding their emotional range and strengthening their inner world.

Nature as Nervous System Therapy

There’s a reason we all breathe deeper outside.

Nature regulates us. The sound of water, the feel of grass underfoot, the rustle of wind through trees—these sensory cues settle our bodies and make connection easier. That’s not just true for our kids. It’s true for us.

So if you feel like you’re not “doing enough” this summer, consider this:
A slow walk. A skipped rock. A sandwich on a picnic blanket. These are the building blocks of secure attachment.

Three Ways to Prioritize Play This Summer

If you’re not sure where to begin, start here:

1. Create space, not schedules.
Instead of filling every day with back-to-back plans, leave room for spontaneity. Your child’s nervous system—and yours—needs the downtime.

2. Follow their lead.
If your child suddenly wants to make a potion out of dandelions, lean in. That’s curiosity in action. Your presence validates their imagination.

3. Play with them—but not for them.
Be the audience. Be the participant. But let them be the director. Let them lead the game, make the rules, and flex those decision-making muscles.

A New Definition of Progress

When we talk about raising champions, we’re not talking about medals or grade point averages.

We’re talking about raising whole humans. Emotionally agile, connected, confident kids who know how to navigate the world with curiosity and courage.

And that kind of development?

It often begins in the backyard. On bikes. At the beach. In the freedom of play.

So if you’re feeling the pressure to “make the most” of summer—take the pressure off.

Let them explore. Let them imagine. Let them be.

You’re doing the work by simply creating the space.

What’s one playful or unstructured moment you’ve witnessed in your child this summer?

Share it in the comments—I’d love to celebrate it with you.