Office of University Communications 

Documentary explores importance of unstructured play

SPRINGFIELD – The Missouri State University public affairs grant program, the College of Education and the U.S. Alliance for Childhood will present a free public screening of “Where Do the Children Play?” a new documentary written by Christopher Cook and produced by Michigan Public Television, at 10:30 a.m. March 1 in the Plaster Student Union Theater.

The film examines an issue of growing concern among pediatricians, mental health experts, educators and environmentalists: more and more children are growing up today with little or no opportunity for unstructured play, especially outdoors.

“Unsupervised outdoor play time has drastically decreased in the last half of the 20^th century,” said Dr. Joanna Cemore, assistant professor of childhood education and family studies at Missouri State. “This decline in play at home is coupled with a decline of play in educational settings as well. We are teaching children who almost never have more than ten minutes of time to think of a new way to do something or explore the possibilities that a stick and a stone hold.”

Joan Almon, chair of U.S. Alliance for Childhood, will give an introduction to the film, and representatives from various organizations and university departments will be in attendance with information.

There will be an open discussion following the film. For more information, contact Cemore at 836-8403.