My Connections to Play

Quotes about Play 

“The playing adult steps sideward into another reality; the playing child advances forward to new stages of mastery.” ~ Erik H. Erikson (American psychoanalyst)

“Play is the highest form of research.” ~ Albert Einstein (scientist)

“It’s not so much what children learn through play, but what they won’t learn if we don’t give them the chance to play. Many functional skills like literacy and arithmetic can be learned either through play or through instruction – the issue is the amount of stress on the child. However, many coping skills like compassion, self-regulation, self-confidence, the habit of active engagement, and the motivation to learn and be literate cannot be instructed. They can only be learned through self-directed experience (i.e. play).” ~ Susan J. Oliver (author, Playing for Keeps)

Items I Used Often In My Play

From the about the age of 7 I lived on my roller skates, zooming up and down my street.  I  roller skated regularly  right through collage.  

I remember the Christmas I received this as a gift. My girlfriend and I would spend hours playing with our dolls and this house. I look back now and realize more time was spent setting up Barbie's world  than actually playing with the dolls.


How My Play Was Supported

When I was a young child I am not sure that the adults in my life knew that they were supporting my play but from about the age of four or five I was allowed outside to play on my own or with other children in the neighborhood. My mom would allow me to make mud pies in the yard and play in the the puddles after a storm. Some of my friends had playrooms in their houses where we would be able to play inside but for the most part three seasons of the year we were outside. Playing at the local park, school yard, each others yards or just throughout the neighborhood. We were left to our own devices to entertain ourselves. We were expected home for lunch and dinner and to stay within the few block radius our parents felt was appropriate. As I got older my bike and public transportation allowed that distance to grow.


How I See Play Today 


Parents today would be considered irresponsible if they allowed their 5 year old to be playing outside alone. We have a hyper-vigilant society created by immediate access news to from across the country and around the world that makes our world seem less safe than it was when I was growing up. Lenore Skenazy, author of Free Range Kids, How to Raise Safe, Self-Reliant Children (Without Going Nuts With Worry) discusses how crime rates are actually lower today than in the past in most cities. That child predators seem more prevalent because abuse and assault is reported and prosecuted more than in the past when it was often ignored  or swept under the rug. 
I also feel parents today are pressured in many ways to produce super-achieving children (Ginsberg, 2007). They have to have the correct toys, enrichment activities and be learning skills beyond what is developmental appropriate because that is what is shown in the media as providing your child with every advantage for the future. 
 I believe this has lead to children having less unstructured play time. Play is almost always supervised by an adult and divided by age groups.  I believe this is affecting children's ability to learn self regulation, negotiation skills and how to communicate their needs to their peers. My hope is that those of us the work in the early childhood field will educate parents about the importance of play. In addition my hope is that schools and child care centers can figure out a way to incorporate curriculum standards that allows children to learn through play because research has proven it is the way they learn best! 


The Role Of Play Throughout My Lifetime


Dramatic play, pretending to be someone or someplace else is something I strongly remember from my childhood. I can remember playing teacher for hours with my stuffed animals as students. We had a row of tall bushes in my backyard that easily became a forest for my friends and I. I also enjoyed physical play, running, jumping, skating and bike riding consumed hours of my time as a child. I continued to roller skate through college.

Board games were also a way my childhood family passed the time something I have passed on to my children. It was a way to learn about rules fairness and how to lose with grace.


 As I entered high school my creative side was expressed through music. I played several instruments, sang and was in the school plays. As an adult I sing in my church choir.


 I still love to be outside, my husband and I enjoy camping and for many years we camped as a family until our children's favorite ways to play created too many conflicts. 


I think it is important for everyone to have at least one activity that is their form of play to enjoy throughout their lifetime. 

References

Ginsberg, K. (2007). The importance of play in promoting healthy development and maintaining strong parent-child bonds. Pediatrics, 119(1), 182–191. Retrieved from http://www.aap.org/pressroom/playfinal.pdf