International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research

E-ISSN: 2582-2160   •   Impact Factor: 9.24

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The Overscheduled Childhood: Long-Term Effects of Reduced Free Play on Creativity and Emotional Resilience

Author(s) Jaanvi Vinayak
Country India
Abstract This study examines whether today’s overscheduled routines, including heavier academics, stacked activities, and screen time, are crowding out child-directed free play and, in turn, dampening creativity and emotional resilience. A quantitative, cross-sectional survey was conducted with parents/caregivers reporting on one child aged 8–12 years (N = 110). Free play was assessed using an 8-item parent scale (Total Play History Score; higher scores indicate more unstructured play), creativity was measured with an adapted parent version of the Creative Behavior Inventory–Short Form (14 items), and emotional resilience was measured with the Person-Most-Knowledgeable CYRM-R (17 items). Results indicated a moderate, statistically significant association between free play and creativity (Pearson r = .472, 95% CI [.128, .715], p = .0097; Spearman ρ = .491, p = .0069). The relationship between free play and resilience was positive but weaker and not robust across tests (Pearson r = .231, p = .228; Spearman ρ = .367, p = .0505), likely attenuated by restricted score range and small sample size. These findings suggest that preserving child-directed playtime is linked to richer everyday creative behavior and may support resilience. The study provides contemporary, school-age evidence to inform debates on overscheduling and underscores practical levers—recess protection and balanced family calendars—to bolster 21st-century skills.
Keywords free play, creativity, emotional resilience, overscheduling, child development
Field Sociology
Published In Volume 7, Issue 5, September-October 2025
Published On 2025-10-02
DOI https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i05.56964
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E-ISSN 2582-2160
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