121: Lenore Skenazy | Free Play: The Lost Key to Childhood Development

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In this episode, we explore how modern culture has stripped childhood of the freedom it needs to thrive—and what can be done to bring it back. Our guest is Lenore Skenazy, author of Free-Range Kids and co-founder of the nonprofit Let Grow, launched with Jonathan Haidt, Peter Gray, and Daniel Shuchman to champion independence, resilience, and real-world learning.

Together, we unpack how fear, measurement, and control have come to dominate parenting and education. From the rise of isolated family units to the spread of enrichment culture, today’s children are surrounded by adults who often confuse supervision with support. The result is a generation of kids with less room to explore, solve problems, and grow on their own.

We talk about how Let Grow is working to change this—by making it normal again for kids to walk to the store, play unsupervised, and take age-appropriate risks. Lenore shares the story of a high school that gave students one week of unstructured play, and the surprising transformation that followed. The spark of self-direction wasn’t lost—it was just waiting for space to reappear.

Visit letgrow.org to explore free programs, school initiatives, and policy work that supports childhood independence.

🗓️ Recorded May 13th, 2025. 📍 Budapest, Hungary

🔗 Connect with Lenore Skenazy

• https://www.facebook.com/lenore.skenazy
• https://www.instagram.com/lenoreskenazy_freerange
• https://x.com/freerangekids
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/lenoreskenazy
• https://letgrow.org
• https://www.freerangekids.com

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