Learning, trying, failing, repeating, and experiencing both success and failure while making mistakes along the way all help shape our children’s ability to understand and employ their own unique strengths. Even so, the concept of honing a skill has its merits, as it encourages patience and resilience, and it helps children become more confident. Structured activities can spark creativity beyond the classroom, music hall, or sports field—but only if kids have room to roam. “Playing with their parents helps some kids learn skills they can then transfer to playing with other children,” says Jones. There is a lot of learning that happens when children play together, so healthy social skills matter.