My Connections to Play

"Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn.”  O. Fred Donaldson (martial arts master)

“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation” Plato (Greek philosopher)

       

My memory of my early childhood is very vague, but according to my mom, even though I had many toys, I was more of a social, outdoor child. I rarely played house with my dolls, instead, they were always lined up on the bed and listening to me teach. She said I loved being in control, even with my friends, I was never a follower. Play also helped me deal with my unpleasant memories of school, corporal punishment was a common form of discipline in schools at the time, and through play I was able to reenact situations where I am in control of my own experiences.

When it comes to play, my parents were my biggest supporters. They provided me with a variety of toys such as, dolls, board games, blocks, stuffed animals, a cash register, and a bike, as well as opportunities to play with these toys. My father was an expert on every park in the neighborhood. I got to ride my bike around parks and build sand castles on the beach. I also enjoyed pretend play. Besides being a teacher, I liked dressing up as an adult; my mom said I was always in heels. Lastly, participating in group activities was also an unforgettable part of my childhood. I was a part of both gymnastics and band. Overall, I was given a chance to experience all types of play and ample time to do so.

When I compare my childhood to that of my children nowadays, I see both similarities and differences. Growing up, I had just about the same toys my children have today. Both the toys as well as the types of play are similar; however, the time and place allocated for certain types of play has dramatically changed. As I mentioned earlier, I spent much of my childhood outdoors playing with friends and socializing. Similarly, my brothers were always outside building things, playing ball, or chasing one another with the neighborhood kids. Nowadays, motor and physical play has been reduced by the invasion of technology and screen games. Children are spending longer hours indoors than outdoors glued to a screen.  In addition, constructive play previously conducted outdoors with nature provided materials and sidewalk chalk is being replaced with indoor blocks of every shape and size and coloring pads.

Throughout my life, both as a child and as an adult, play remains an important part of my daily activity. I owe this way of life to both my playful childhood as well as my early childhood education. I believe play is a necessity throughout life. For children, it is their vehicle to learning and controlling the big world they live in. For us adults, it is our vehicle to recharging our batteries so we can get through the realities of the big world we live in. whether it is kicking the ball with one of my kids, playing cards wit another, or playing a board game on a family night, the time spent doing such activities helps me reconnect with the inner child in me and gives me the energy to continue to be the adult I am. Indeed,

“Men should learn to live with the same seriousness with which children play.” ~Nietzsche (philosopher, writer)