In Praise of Play: Activities for Children and Families in Rural Communities
Not all of America’s children are thriving: Approximately 13.7 million children and adolescents — nearly one in five — are classified as obese. Around 4.4 million children have received an anxiety disorder diagnosis, and 1.9 million have diagnosed depression, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Furthermore, Generation Z, the most recently graduated class of children, is the loneliest generation and reported worse health outcomes than older generations, according to a report from Cigna.
Experts at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) believe playtime could be the solution to the apparent decline in children’s health. Physical activity and play has been shown to alleviate these concerns, but only 21.6 percent of children and adolescents ages 6 to 19 meet the daily recommendations for physical activity set forth by the Department of Health and Human Services.
For children in rural communities, getting enough physical activity can be especially hard, said M. Renee Umstattd Meyer, Ph.D., MCHES, associate professor with Baylor University Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences. Rural families are more likely to live in or near poverty, which can mean parents are working multiple jobs. These areas also have fewer transportation options, and kids may have to spend precious daylight hours — prime time for outdoor play — on the bus traveling to and from school.
“The children in those families then lose the resource of how to get to places, and there’s less right outside their front door,” said Umstattd Meyer. “Sometimes, right outside their front door there’s a huge highway.”

Go to a tabular version of “Percentage of Youth Within a 10-Minute Walk of a Park.”
Take Texas, for example: In Dallas, the third-most populated Texas city, 63 percent of children live within a 10-minute walk of a park. But in Victoria, Texas — where the population is 20 times smaller than Dallas — fewer than one-third of children can access a park as easily.
Still, measuring cities may not capture the reality of living in Texas, because much of the state is rural, as population density data indicates. For example, Galveston, the least-populated Texas city, has a population density of 1,158.2 persons per square mile, whereas the average population density of Texas is 96.3 persons per square mile. Those in more rural areas who live farther from each other and from built environments — the developed spaces where people live and work — may have even less access to a nearby park.
How Does Play Benefit Children?
Play sharpens children’s minds, refines their social skills, stokes their imagination, and helps keep their bodies healthy. Through playtime, children develop into resilient, self-reliant adults who can connect, empathize, and live peaceably with one another in community. The AAP encourages healthcare providers to write “playtime prescriptions” for children in the first two years of life, because play benefits children in manifold ways:
Physical
Playful activity can promote healthy weight and improve the function of children’s immune, endocrine, and cardiovascular systems, according to the AAP’s clinical report. Outdoor play, in particular, is associated with decreases in children’s body mass index (BMI) scores.
Mental
Through play, children develop a sense of agency over their lives. This inner locus of control can help protect children from developing anxiety and depression.
Behavioral
Playtime can actually help parents manage their children’s behavior, because playing together strengthens the parent/child relationship. A stronger relationship means the child is more likely to be compliant, because they want to please the parent.
Social
Play helps children build social competence and confidence, which benefits them in the classroom and in their future jobs. In play, they learn to master tasks, such as stacking blocks or dressing a doll, and develop a sense of self-esteem.
Emotional
Children’s brains are not yet developed enough to express their emotions in words. Through play, using the familiar language of hands and bodies, children can learn to express their feelings and the events in their lives, particularly traumatic experiences.
Spiritual
Playtime allows children to be children in a productivity-obsessed world. Play offers what writer and teacher Aaron Ames calls “a sense of freedom from the constraints of performance, from the constraints of constantly needing to produce and perform at such a high level.”
Health and Play in Rural Areas
“Almost everybody can benefit from adding more physical activity and movement to their lives,” Umstattd Meyer said. People with a higher risk of chronic disease and lower quality of life can especially benefit from physical activity. Often, though, these families are the ones with the least access to healthy, active lifestyles.
Lower-income rural families face similar challenges accessing resources as those in urban areas. However, these challenges are compounded by the geographic dispersion and lack of infrastructure in rural communities.
“Often there’s less money that comes into infrastructure within those communities,” Umstattd Meyer said. “More money has to go further, and fewer people are there to make things happen.”
Racial and ethnic health disparities, though not specific to rural communities, tend to be more prominent in those areas, she added.
Umstattd Meyer advises adults to take ownership of their communities and make the most of the available resources, even if few and far between. She has the following recommendations for ways to help you and your family be more active:
What’s happening at your child’s school?
If the bus ride to school takes hours and your child gets home when it’s too dark to play outside, after-school programming or team sports may be more convenient options. Ask about summer programs, too.
Are there churches nearby with playgrounds or programming for children?
Churches often host after-school programming that can give your child opportunities to socialize and play outside in a safe environment with other kids.
Where are the parks, and are the parks safe?
“Rural areas have great natural resources that often, quite frankly, are overlooked,” Umstattd Meyer said. Provided these areas are safe, they can be good options for hikes, walks, and bike rides.
How can we add fun and play to the activities we’re already planning?
Think about the events coming up in your community — whether it’s a potluck, festival, or cookout — and consider adding in physical activity. If you’re hosting a festival, can you add some activity stations? If you’re going to a cookout, can you bring jump ropes and hula hoops?
8 Ideas for Creative Play
School programs and organized events are great ways to help children stay active, but healthy play can also happen at home and in children’s own neighborhoods.
Below, find eight ideas for creative play that do not require a playground or expensive toys –– only materials you probably already have in your home. These activities are appropriate for children more than 18 months old.








While not a panacea, a healthy amount of play can help children grow up into well-rounded adults. Caregivers, teachers, babysitters, coaches, and mentors can support their healthy development by making sure children have time and space to play. You can provide the structure and supplies that allow them to choose their own adventures and make their own discoveries.
The following section contains tabular data from the graphic in this post.
10 Most-Populated Texas Cities
City | Population (est. as of 2017) | Percentage of youth within 10-minute walk to a park |
---|---|---|
Houston | 2,312,717 | 53 |
San Antonio | 1,511,946 | 41 |
Dallas | 1,341,075 | 63 |
Austin | 950,715 | 55 |
Fort Worth | 874,168 | 59 |
El Paso | 683,577 | 56 |
Arlington | 396,394 | 56 |
Corpus Christi | 325,605 | 74 |
Plano | 286,143 | 76 |
Laredo | 260,654 | 54 |
National Average in U.S. | N/A | 55 |
10 Least-Populated Texas Cities
City | Population (est. as of 2017) | Percent of youth within 10-minute walk to a park |
---|---|---|
Victoria | 67,106 | 31 |
Harlingen | 65,467 | 42 |
Pflugerville | 63,359 | 77 |
San Marcos | 63,071 | 51 |
Rowlett | 62,868 | 48 |
Port Arthur | 55,498 | 56 |
Euless | 55,174 | 87 |
Grapevine | 53,982 | 69 |
DeSoto | 53,568 | 44 |
Galveston | 50,497 | 75 |
National Average in U.S. | N/A | 55 |
Citation for this content: The MPH online program from Baylor University’s Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences.