“Play is…more than just fun. Plenty of play in childhood makes for happy, smart adults – and keeping it up can make us smarter at any age.” Stuart Brown (author of The Neuroscience of Play)
“It is in playing, and only in playing, that the individual child or adult is able to be creative and to use the whole personality, and it is only in being creative that the individual discovers the self.” ~ D.W. Winnicott (British pediatrician
Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning.
Fred RogersAmerican television personality
1928–2003
Essential Play Items for Me!
My Supporters of Play!
Growing up play was a huge factor in my household. I remember being around the age of 4/5 and each day my mother made me go outside and play. She use to tell me that playing outside was going to help me grow up to be a strong adult. My mother would set up a schedule that included me going outside I know for majority of the day. She would have me get up, eat breakfast, have school time, go outside, eat dinner, go back outside until the streetlights came on or when it was to dark for me to see my own hand. Even if my mother took me to a babysitter while she was at work, she would tell them to make sure that they took me outside to play. As I got older I remember my mother letting me have a Nintendo 64, but I could only play it for a certain amount of time and then she would send me right outside to play. Another way play was supported through my childhood was through sports. I loved all sports so at the age of three my mother began to put me in optimist club for basketball. As I got older my mother kept me in sports from basketball, softball and volleyball. She made sure that I was very active.
Play today vs. Play in my childhood....
I think people have failed to realize the importance of play because they are so caught up in trying to compete with other countries. The American lifestyle is not that of China or other countries where all their kids do is school because that is what is enforced from day one. I fear that the future of play with children is going to eventually disappear if parents, administrators and communities are not informed of the importance of play. I fear that children will not have a imagination at all. Without play I can see an increase of drop outs, behavior issues, health issues (which we are already seeing) and pregnancy. Play allows children to develop skills that they will use later in life. Play helped me with decision making skills, social skills, emotional development, how to make friends, problem solving and a number of other things. Being that I learned those skills through play it has helped develop me into the intelligent woman that I am today. Play in a way helped build my character as a person. I wonder how life would be if I never had experienced play at all?
Nevertheless, Play is a vital activity in the lives of our children. It should be utilized more. The importance of play needs to be addressed across the U.S. because it is more important than people realize.Play
is an effective way for children to accumulate a vast amount of basic
knowledge about the world around them, knowledge needed for later
learning in language, math, science, social studies, art, and medicine”
(Wardle, 2010).
Resource
hoodnews.com/earlychildhood/artile view.aspx?ArticleID=127
3 comments:
“It is in playing, and only in playing, that the individual child or adult is able to be creative and to use the whole personality, and it is only in being creative that the individual discovers the self.” ~ D.W. Winnicott (British pediatrician
I have never seen or read this quote before, but I do agree with it, when playing you get to be creative and use your personality and to add to that I do believe it gives you or adds to your personality. Children who don't have fun lack personality in my opinion and adults who serious all the time and don't engage in a little play lose personality because they forget how to have fun.
I agree when you talk about play becoming a thing of the past, and not having it has brought up health issues. Did you know that in Korea teenagers are skipping school to go to internet cafes to play video games. One student ignored his bodies signals for help, and died at a computer, because for 3 days he played a game and did not feed his body or go to the bathroom! It will be interesting to see how Korea handles issues like this, because we might not be too far behind.
Our childhoods sound similar! We were always outside too:) I didn't make the connection of sports as play and encouragement from adults - thank you for making me see that! I also was in softball, volleyball, and dance as a child through adulthood. I like that you chose the little people school bus and people for toys - they are different now but still around!
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