“MY
CONNECTIONS TO PLAY”
Quotes
of What Play Represented For Me in Childhood
“Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.” Kay Redfield Jamison (professor of
psychiatry)
“Playing should be fun! In our great eagerness to teach our children
we studiously look for ‘educational’ toys, games with built-in lessons, books
with a ‘message.’ Often these ‘tools’
are less interesting and stimulating than the child’s natural curiosity and
playfulness. Play is by its very nature
educational. And it should be pleasurable. When the fun goes out of play, most often so
does the learning.” ~ Joanne E. Oppenheim (child development
expert, author)
Describe how
people supported play when you were younger and/or the role of play in your
childhood.
My
mother raised eight of us. My siblings
and I were encouraged by many adults,
like
my mother, my teachers, my aunts and my uncles to play together. When we
were
at home we would play games like tag, hide-n-seek, mother may I, house, or
red
rover red rover. When we played kickball
or dodge ball we always argued
about
the rules or taking turns when playing jump rope. It helped us to build
relationships,
solve problems, regulate our behaviors and negotiate when needed.
My
mother would always tell us to make a game out of playing. She would remind
us
that there is a learning experience in everything that we do including
relieving
stress. At
home we were allowed playtime at least 3 or maybe 4 hours a day, not
consecutive
hours, and at school we were allowed about an hour. When I was a
child
play was fun and exciting and I always looked forward to it, I also learned
different
things in the process. I not only
learned from my siblings, but I also
learned
from the children in the neighborhood.
Write a brief
entry on how you feel play today is similar or different from the play in which
you engaged as a child and what your hope for young is now with regard to play.
I
think play today is very different from how play used to be when I was a
child. Today you rarely find groups of
children outside playing together.
Children today spend less time in play and have less free time. Many children spend less time outside
playing because of safety reasons, child predators, road traffic or
bullies. As school they spend less time
outside because of set schedules and rules.
Today, play in not considered to be as important as test scores on end
of grade tests (EOGs). Today I hope that
professionals as well as adults realize the importance of play and how it is a
necessity for young children. Play helps
children learn how to make decisions, solve problems, exert self- control, and
follow rules as well as learn how to handle their emotions, including anger and
fear, during play. Play is a source of
happiness and it helps children make friends and learn to get along with each
other as equals.
Include your
thoughts regarding the role of play throughout your life and/or the role of
play throughout childhood and adulthood.
Play is important; it brings joy, and is vital in regards to
problem solving, creativity and relationships. We do no need to play every
second of the day to enjoy play’s benefits.
I realize that society dismisses play for adults. It seems as though once we reach adulthood,
it’s time to get serious because between personal and professional
responsibilities, there’s no time to play.
Play is very critical when it comes to development of the
human brain and behavior. Play not only
brings enjoyment to the person, but creates a social atmosphere, and helps
develop cognitive and physical skills.
Not to mention, helping relieve stress.
Just because we are older, doesn't mean it has to be all about
work. Sometimes, we all need to play
every once in a while.
