My Connections To Play

My Connections to Play

Quotes About Play

"Play brings joy. And it's vital for problem solving, creativity and relationships. "
Margarita Tartakovsky

"Playology is about waking up our senses, infusing our organs of seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, tasting - and the higher cognitive senses as well, with the spirit of play. Play ignites creativity and spontaneity. Playing together leads to trust and cooperation. "
Ellie Katz

"Play is our brain's favorite way of learning."
Dianne Ackerman

"Serious play is not an oxymoron; it is the essence of innovation."
Michael Schrage

"We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing. "
George Bernard Shaw

Essential Play Items from my Childhood

       

  

As a young child, I remember spending countless hours building with Tinker toys, playing with my mother's pots and pans, and stacking or making forts out of her Tupperware. In addition, I also remember spending countless hours exploring my neighbor's barn and observing her farm animals- sheep, steers, goats, pigs, peacocks, chickens, and ducks, and playing with the never ending supply of kittens from the barn cats. This type of play utilized no toys at all.  Adults in my life supported my play by asking questions, offering suggestions on how something might work better, and answering my questions about just about anything. While I know that I was a helpful child (my parents and other close family tell me so),I don't remember feeling like helping any of the significant adults in my life was work. As Dianne Ackerman said above, "Play is our brain's favorite way of learning." I feel that my helpfulness to others was a form of play, because it helped me learn new things, feel useful and most importantly, it was enjoyable. I also note that most of the things I played with were used in an open-ended manner, and did not have a specific thing I used them for alone. Imagination was key in my play and was encouraged by the adults who cared for me and about me.

Today I notice that many children have difficulty using toys or materials that are open ended. Their first question about a new toy or material is "what does it do?", not "what can I do with it?" I also notice a trend toward electronic toys. This is very disturbing to me because i notice that children do not seem to have the kind of imagination or deep imaginative play that I remember engaging in as a child. This is very different from the creative play I remember from my childhood. I struggle to find non-electronic toys for my young child, ones that encourage exploration and later, as he begins talking, questioning.

I also notice that children today do not seem to have the same amount of time to play as I remember having as a child. Children today seem overscheduled and tired. They do not have the carefree attitude I remember from my childhood, and I am saddened about this. It also worries me about their lives as they grow up, and the added stress. Play is a natural reliever of stress, and if they do not know how to play, the stress continues to compound, therefore causing more and more problems, physically, emotionally, and mentally. It is my hope that more parents and teachers realize the value of play, and the need for children to engage in open ended, creative play, and how important it is to their development. As a new parent, I hope to provide my son with the most free play time possible, so that he can enjoy the same carefree childhood that his father and I remember enjoying as children. We are only children for a few short years, we are adults for much longer. There is plenty of time for work, children need to play! For that matter, adults need to remember to play too. Play relieves stress!