Figure 1.--Some boys may use short periods of free time for a chat with a friend about favorite topics.

Besides providing the children with free time, many schools hope to help the children develop the ability to use their free time productively. Here modern children may have more trouble with this than the earlier generation. Of course "productively" is a subjective term. Many schools, however, want the children to learn to develop creatibe and imaginative uses of free time rather than passive uses that are now so common, especially with the advent of television.

Editorial

Watching television is all too easy since it demands little or no active response. When there is no ready entertainment a lot of children seem to find difficulty in entertaining themselves. Although as a school we organize things in free time, from visits to places of interest, to rambles around the countryside and various competitions, some children wil always rely on them too much. Too frequently we hear the cry, 'I'm bored!', but it is refreshing when we see them organise their own gmes in the Hall, or come and ask if someone will help them with one of their own ideas.

Usually their initiative and their imagination will stand children in good stead for adulthood, and we hope they will use their critical facilities to organise their own time successfully and effectively. As prents and teachers we can do children a disservice by organising them too much on the one hand, ad by leaving them too much to their own devices on the other.

The Bramcote Magazine, Autumn 1984.

The Creative Use of Leisure

At Brightlands we are very much aware of the need to help boys learn to use their free time wisely and creatively. A great number of leisure activitites are therefore encouraged ranging from the more formal outings , lectures, films and inter-school debates to estate work, stamp collecting, chess, bridge, and taking part in nature trails in the Forest of Dean. In all these activities our aim is to develop and widen the interests of each individual boy.

Brigtlands Preparatory School Prospectus

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