Can my child handle more than one week? Summer can be a time to broaden children's horizons, help them learn something new, hone a specific skill or interest, get them "school ready," or keep/get them "on track" academically. It can also be a chance to let them unwind and discover things for themselves without the pressures of adult-orchestrated activities. Free Time is for Self-Discovery Researchers and psychologists including Boston College's Dr. Peter Gray (author of "Free to Learn," citing over a hundred research papers on the role of simple self-directed play and free time in the development of curiosity, creativity, empathy, and passion for learning) might argue it is better to provide a "boring" summer with minimal shifts in routine, and maximum time for learning through play. Young humans (and all mammals), he explains, learn through play - it's a large reason for the success of our evolutionary development. Bridging huma...