The Good Life – according to Kids

The world we are striving for is one that is better for our kids, right? But how often do we ask them for their opinions on issues that affect, or will affect them in the future?

The Lego Foundation set out to ask children how they feel about school, their families, and the future. They even asked what they’d do if they were running the country.

The findings, which I have summarised below, give an interesting insight into the things that really matter to our children and the ways that we can support them as they grow.

Perhaps, these are questions you could ask your own children around the dinner table in the coming week. Click here to read all the finding in the latest report: The Good Life, According to Children

1. A loving family is the secret to a good life

The love and support children get from their families definitely makes them feel good. And even though friends are important, children said parents topped the table as the people who mattered most for their wellbeing.

The happier the family, the happier the child’s outlook. (Children in families whose wellbeing wasn’t as strong were lonelier and worried more about the future.)

And how do you make families happy? Well, play was one ingredient. Children who had fun with their families were also happier in life overall and more optimistic about the future.

2. Friends make life after school fun, but competition doesn’t

Young children loved playing together after school, while older children talked about hanging out – whether that was to laugh and talk or play sport or computer games.

Most older children agreed that having a hobby or interest was a good thing, no matter what it was. But we have a tip for sports coaches out there: keep things fun. Lots of older children told us they dropped out of sports teams when the emphasis shifted from having fun to getting competitive. Pressure from coaches (you’ve got to ‘make the team’ to play football) took away the joy children felt when they were younger.

3. School’s more inspiring when teachers try new things

Children enjoy lessons more when they can see how they’d be useful in real life (like studying economics to understand budgeting). And they also got more from lessons when their teachers did things in different ways or let the class experiment.

When children told us about lessons in their own words, they weren’t necessarily using the word ‘play’, and many didn’t think play was a natural part of their school day. (For them, ‘school’ and ‘play’ were quite separate). But, if we look closer at the way students describe their favourite lessons, almost all of them have playful elements in there – whether that’s games, group work, experimenting or getting away from the desk.

4. Young children love play, but what happens when they turn 12?

Children under 12 told us play was important for a good life – and the children who played most also had the highest wellbeing. (That’s partly because of the fun, laughter, and close relationships children who play tended to have.)

But older children didn’t talk about play as much – and some didn’t see activities they enjoyed, like playing computer games, as play at all. Instead, they saw play as something more physical, that only happens when you’re in the same space as the other players. That might explain why older children, who are often online or gaming, told us they stopped playing around the age of 12. Over 40% of those older children said they missed play. But as they got older, other pressures in life got in the way of play.

5. If children ran the country, they’d ease the pressures put on them

When we asked children how they felt about the future, most were positive – and lots looked forward to staying in school and getting a job.

But being a child isn’t always easy, and time and again children worried they wouldn’t live up to the expectations grown-ups had for them. (Whether those grown-ups are parents, teachers, or social media influencers.)