Blog
Our goal is for our children to become happy, healthy adults who contribute to the well-being of their environment, and active rest plays a role in this.
Children who play actively for 1 hour a day can think more creatively and complete more tasks later. Active rest breaks have a therapeutic effect. The definition of play is hard to pin down; many associate it with young children, but play is also important for teenagers and even adults. Play is an activity that is internally motivated, involves active engagement, and results in joyful discovery. It is voluntary and often has no external goals; it is fun and often spontaneous. It requires active participation, and players become passionately immersed in it. Play often creates an imaginary private reality. And play indirectly develops skills, enhancing executive functioning and contributing to school readiness (bored children do not learn well).
School fatigue is a complex issue. Children are not only tired from learning and homework but also from the exhausting school environment. Constant performance, organization, and completing tasks wear children out. We are familiar with the feeling from our own school days when we wrote the words "Action, Fraction" on the board and longed for a time when we didn't have to wake up early, rush to school, do tasks, and hurry to practice. Children feel the same way. That's why it's important to have a break and some rest after the school year ends—a time when children can play freely and relax actively.
"It's crazy to schedule every minute of a child's time. Practice, swimming, dance, English, fun activities to keep that annoying child busy. Instead of letting them stay at home daydreaming, playing by themselves, in the tub, or pouring water from one bucket to another in the yard. No mud play, no sandbox. Just playhouses. Nonsense. A child needs a simple life with few elements to calm down." says Tamás Vekerdy.
Too many activities and travel can also be mentally exhausting for children. It's important not to overload the summer with activities and to leave time for rest and doing nothing at home. The safety and tranquility of being at home are just as important a part of summer rest as going on vacation.
For children who need more time to transition or need to get back into "school mode," it's useful to spend the last two weeks of the summer break preparing for school. For example, a child who has difficulty waking up early will benefit from not trying to wake up at 7 AM for the first time on September 1st after a summer of waking up at 10 AM. Similarly, children who need more time to organize themselves will find it helpful to establish their routines before school starts, perhaps with assistance, to make morning preparations easier.
Summer break is for active rest, but it's a mistake to think that tasks and responsibilities have no place during this time. It's important for children to take part in family chores, just as they do during the school year. Similarly, school tasks or summer reading assignments can be scheduled in a way that does not hinder active rest.
The purpose of summer break is not constant occupation but rest and creating shared experiences. The quality of time spent together is much more important than the number of activities.