The pandemic is not over and safety still remains a top priority, this summer can be fun and engaging for children despite all that. In this panel discussion moderated by, SCMP’s Kindergartens Festival: Future of Education introduces Fruzsina Benyei-Anirudhan, Head of Curriculum and Training (International) at Kido Education , and Alan Ng, Founder of InNordics to highlight the differences and importance between structured and unstructured activities. This summer, parents are worried about their children’s safety while being out and about to socialise and participate in fun activities. While many parents are also prioritising activities to allow their child to practice social skills, make friends, and develop emotionally, since these opportunities have become less available due to the pandemic. In order to create a good balance for children, the panellists recommend sticking with a routine to provide a sense of stability, while incorporating a mixture of structured and unstructured play. Structured play is “everything and anything that would have an expected outcome where you are going into the activity with a certain set of rules,” according to Fruzsina Benyei-Anirudhan. A good example of this would be playing the board game in which instructions must be followed, or a swim lesson where children follow the directions of an instructor. Unstructured play includes activities or free time that is child-led and open-ended. This means there is no specific outcome or expectation, and the play can “evolve by itself in an organic manner,” Fruzsina says. Unstructured play is just as important as structured activities, because it “creates a time and space for [children] to imagine,” and is very important for the development of problem-solving skills and other learning processes, Alan Ng says. The panellists suggest selecting activities for children based on their interests and their needs. Parents can look at what their children have missed out on during the previous school year and try to fill in the gaps. For example, if a child has not had a chance to socialise often, both structured and unstructured group activities and playdates would be a good place to start. While they also note that children need time for themselves and advise against planning out every single hour of the day, as this can be overwhelming and doesn’t allow for enough unstructured or independent time for the child. As Fruzsina says, “in modern parenting, we have a tendency of micromanaging every single minute of our children’s lives,” and this is not helpful for us or for them. This summer, families should try to stay safe, spend quality time together, and continue to have fun despite the pandemic. For more information about our Kindergartens Festival: Future of Education series, please visit here for more details.