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Play Is Children's Work: Why Free Play Matters episode artwork

May 19, 2026 12 min

Play Is Children's Work: Why Free Play Matters

from Talking FACS Hosted by UK FCS Extension

Host: Mindy McCulley, MS Extension Specialist for Instructional Support, University of Kentucky Guests: David Weisenhorn, PhD Extension Specialist for Parenting and Child Development and Katherine Jury, MS Extension Specialist for Family Health Season 8, Episode 49 In this episode of Talking FACS, Extension specialists Dr. David Weisenhorn and Katherine Jury discuss the vital role of unstructured free play in child development. They cover the key benefits of play—physical (muscle and bone development), cognitive (problem solving and learning by doing), social (cooperation and rule-making), and emotional health—with examples like playgrounds, outdoor exploration, and even learning from minor risks such as poison ivy. Guests emphasize outdoor play, practice-driven skill building, and why free time is children’s "work." Listeners can expect practical takeaways on encouraging safe, unstructured play, why less-structured schedules help long-term development, and where to find University of Kentucky Family and Consumer Sciences Extension resources for families. Connect with FCS Extension through any of the links below for more information about any of the topics discussed on Talking FACS. Kentucky Extension Offices UK FCS Extension Website Facebook Instagram FCS Learning Channel

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Play Is Children's Work: Why Free Play Matters

0:00 12:35

Chapters

  1. 0:07 Play Is Children’s Work
  2. 2:31 Growing Through Movement
  3. 3:53 Outside for Health
  4. 5:25 Solving Problems at Play
  5. 7:26 Learning Through Mistakes
  6. 9:50 Social Skills in Play
  7. 11:21 Why Play Matters

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How long is this episode of Talking FACS?

This episode is 12 minutes long.

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This episode was published on May 19, 2026.

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