The Hidden Consequences When Kids Don't Play, Climb, or Move Freely Anymore - Angela Hanscom

What happens when kids don't get to move, climb, or play freely anymore? In this episode, Angela Hanscom, pediatric OT and author of Balanced and Barefoot, joins Screen Less Play More to talk about the developmental, emotional, and sensory toll of play deprivation — and why restoring free play may be the best thing parents can do for their children. The solution is so easy - let them play! Why is play good for kids? Spinning in circles, rolling down hills, and jumping off boulders is not just for fun... it's developmentally NECESSARY for children to turn into healthy adults.  Kids are falling out of chairs, breaking pencil tips, hitting too hard when playing tag, and getting occupational therapy at alarming rates. What can we do?  In this episode, Angela Hanscom, the founder of Timbernook explores how free play (especially outdoor play) supports child development, sensory regulation, and emotional resilience. We discuss risky play, the need for recess, and the need for independent play in childhood, preschool, and elementary years. You'll love this especially if you're part of the Waldorf, Montessori, or Reggio Emilia approach to learning. Welcome to Screen Less Play More Podcast! Thanks for listening! Click "follow" or "subscribe" so that you never miss an episode! What is the best parenting podcast about screen time and kids?  More about Screen Less Play More, the best parenting podcast about play and tech at: https://screenlessplaymore.com/ https://substack.com/@screenlessplaymore?utm_source=user-menu Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@ScreenLessPlayMore Welcome to the Screen Less Play More podcast — the best parenting podcast for raising balanced, confident kids in the digital age by reducing screen time, managing gaming and social media, and restoring play-based childhoods. Hosted by Cynthia Dvorak of ScreenLessPlayMore.com, we share expert advice and research-backed strategies to help parents create healthy screen habits, set realistic tech boundaries, and build stronger family connection without constant monitoring or power struggles. Each episode gives you practical tools for reducing screen time battles, ensuring online safety for kids, and age-appropriate digital limits. We discuss if there is such thing as healthy screen time, and what are some good guidelines for screen time by age. It's the podcast for moms and the podcast for dads who care about keeping kids balanced and brilliant! But it's not all about screens! Screen Less Play More is also about the benefits of free play, outdoor play, and imaginative play so your children can thrive both online and offline. Look no further for executive tech strategies, research-backed tools, ideas for screen free entertainment, and screen free activites for kids from tiny to teenager. We are big on play, especially risky play, outdoor play, and the friluftsliv outdoor lifestyle. Through interviews with experts, educators, and authors, we aim to make you more intentional parents, mindful parents, and happy parents! Whether you're into calm parenting, gentle parenting, or FAFO parenting- we have advice that will guide your decisions around digital technology and play based learning (and play just for the sake of play!) What's the best parenting podcast about play and screens? Check out the top 6 episodes from 2025 of Screen Less Play More : https://screenlessplaymore.com/top-rated-parenting-podcast-episodes-of-the-year-our-most-listened-most-loved-conversations/ screenless playmore Thanks for listening! If you click "follow" you'll make sure to never miss an episode!