Digital Media Center
Bryant-Denny Stadium, Gate 61
Box 870370
920 Paul Bryant Drive
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0370
205-348-6644

© 2026 Alabama Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Free performance tickets! Sponsored by our partners. Click here to see active APR Giveaways.

Helicopter vs. free-range parenting: What are the benefits of unsupervised play?

Young boys play basketball on a playground in the Hamilton Heights neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City on November 19, 2025. (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)
Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images
Young boys play basketball on a playground in the Hamilton Heights neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City on November 19, 2025. (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)

Mounting evidence suggests a sheltered childhood may do more harm than good. Unsupervised play, once a normal part of American childhood, has largely been superseded by screens, structured activities and safety culture.

Now, a growing body of research suggests unstructured “free time” for kids engenders long-term benefits that far outweigh the risks.

Here & Now‘s Indira Lakshmanan speaks with freelance journalist and parent Simon Lewsen.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2026 WBUR

Here & Now Newsroom
News from Alabama Public Radio is a public service in association with the University of Alabama. We depend on your help to keep our programming on the air and online. Please consider supporting the news you rely on with a donation today. Every contribution, no matter the size, propels our vital coverage. Thank you.