Two quotes that summarized what play represented
for me in childhood are; Play is our brain's favorite way of learning by Diane Ackerman- Contemporary American author, and Children need the freedom and time to play.
Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity by Kay Redfield Jamison-Contemporary
American professor of psychiatry. The following pictures represent essential
play items for my younger self. As a child I loved playing board games such as
checkers and tic-tac-toe. It eased my mine and relaxed me. The swing and the
slide made me feel free and also eased my mine. All three gave me great
enjoyment.
The people in my life
supported play by making sure that I had enjoyable things to do at home. My
family always involved themselves in play as well. My grandparents use to take
us on picnics, fishing, camping, and we always played board games. As a child,
I had a swing that was hung from a tree. I think that I was fortunate to have
people in my life that provided meaningful opportunities for me to play. Play
was very important to my entire family. Playing on the slide was also one of my
favorite play items. I always played on the slide, swings, and the
merry-go-round in school.
However, play today has
changed somewhat because I do not think people value play as much today as they
did when I was younger. My wish for today is parents will show an increase in
awareness of the benefits and value of play. Play today is filled with electronics;
children today get little physical exercise because of all the electronic items
available now. I truly wish that children would get out more and explore their
environment.
In conclusion, play has
always been important in my life. I lost my mother at the age of 9, and play helped
me to mentally cope with that loss. Play has always served as a way for me to
escape from the world as well as, connect to it. I learned many things from
play and today I kind of view being in school as a form of play for me because
I enjoy it and it help me to relax. Play today is just as important as it was
when I was a child.
I appreciate how your grandparents included you in play! In a time when even grandparents seem too busy now to play with their grandchildren, I have treasured memories of playing with mine! My favorite was always to do my Grandpa's hair complete with at least 20 barrettes and small braids!
ReplyDeleteI do agree that today's parents are so busy, usually both working, that they forget about the importance of playing with their own children. Parents emerging themselves in their child's play can gain inkling to their child's cognitive world emotionally, socially, academically, etc. Great points.
ReplyDeleteHi Michele,
ReplyDeleteYou too are a woman after my own heart I love playing board games. Monopoly and Clue were my favorite. As a family we use to go fishing, to amusement parks, and to Wildwood, NJ to the beach. I am very sure that my childhood activities helped mold me into the person that I am today. I love the law, education, traveling, meeting new people, helping people, and learning new things.
I am a parent that knows the importance of letting children play, and open them up to new experiences, we travel all the time. I tell my children , we are blessed with opportunities some children will never leave their environment, unless it is on a school trip.
Hi Michele.
ReplyDeleteI think we all as parents know the importance of letting our children play and how they can learn many things through play. Great post I enjoyed reading it!!