Two Quotes I like Pertaining to Play:
"Play
energizes us and enlivens us. It eases our burdens. It renews our natural sense
of optimism and opens us up to new possibilities".
--Stuart Brown, MD, Contemporary American psychiatrist
"Play is our brain's favorite way of learning".
--Diane Ackerman, Contemporary American author
Growing up was different for me but similar to many
others. Since my sister and I are ten years apart, I used my imagination
continuously. From living in the country, I played with my cats and dogs. I had
a wagon that I would pull my animals and dolls in all the time. I had a bike,
so I rode that a lot. I even climbed trees. My parents would buy me all types
of toys. I had a Nintendo, Barbie dolls and all the items that went along with
playing with my Barbie (Ken, clothes, house and the car). So, I never wanted
for anything. When I was bored with playing by myself, I went over my friend’s
house. She lived across the branch, which was not big to jump over. We rode our
bikes and even ventured out into the woods. We acted like we were searching for
certain things. It was so fun. I miss those days. Sometimes, my grandma (while
she was living) would play checkers with me. I miss her. We ate fruit together
and she would tell me stories.
The way children play today is so different because
they really do not want to go outside. They like staying in the house and play
their electronics all day –especially on the weekends. They receive bikes on
Christmas and gave sad because it was not the new game for their game systems. They
do not know the joy of using their imaginations like we had to do back in the
day. I have to get my children excited to go outside or I take them to the
park, where they have no chose but to run around and play.
The role of play must be incorporated into a child’s
life to keep them from growing up too fast. Childhood passes so fast and they
must learn to embrace it, while they are still young. The school systems seem
to be run by adults, who have lost their enjoyment of play or they never knew
the joy of playing when they were children. It is all about getting the high
scores and tiring out a child’s brain. Teachers must begin coming up with games
to incorporate into their lesson plans to make learning fun for their class.
If was to put myself into a 4 or 5 year old life:
If I was five years of age, I would be outside in my
yard. It is a country type setting. My neighbor and I are running around the
yard, playing with kites. It is kind of windy but pleasant. We decided to cook
for our babies, but really it is only dirt and water. Basically, it is mud-pies that we are “cooking”
and decided to call them cookies and cakes. We are getting so dirty but we are
having so much fun. My friend loves playing with my two puppies. She puts them
in my baby stroller and pushes them all around the yard. They are enjoying it
and one even went to sleep. We continued playing and running freely for hours. Great
day! My mom would be a resource, just to be there making sure that we were okay
(protection).
