"Play is a child's work and this is not a trivial pursuit." -Alfred Adler
"Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood." -Fred Rodgers
Some images that represent play in my childhood:
I would love to spend my time playing board games and puzzles. Being an only child, putting a puzzle together was the perfect way for me to do an activity that just required me.
I was always active outside and when I got my first pair of roller blades that seemed to be what I always did whenever I ventured outside.
Growing up I remember having lots of times to play both indoors and outdoors. Although I would have rather play outside. My parents were always encouraging me to play and to explore not only my toys but also the outside environments as well. It also helped that I grew up with a large yard and frequent visits to my Mema's farm. Since I am an only child I had a lot of alone time and played by myself but I always enjoyed when friends and cousins were able to come over and play with me. My parents also tried their best to play with me and play games with me when I was younger.
I feel that play today is somewhat different from the play that I grew up with as a child. A lot of children that I know spend most of their "play time" indoors. I find that the older a child gets the less active the child becomes. Getting involved in media and video games is becoming more prevalent in children today. While I do see kids in my neighborhood playing outside it seems very rare and not an everyday event. I think it is important for adults to guide children to explore the outdoors and to steer away from all the electronic games. While playing these games are not necessarily horrible and completely bad, I do feel that limiting them can benefit the child greatly. Children should be able to explore the environments more at home and at school.
I believe that play was a big part of my life when I was younger and I have benefited from it greatly. While I did not know it at the time, I was learning and understanding the world around me. It was a way for me to make lasting friendships, be self-confident, and express my creativity. I think having play be a big part in my childhood has helped me throughout my life.
Great post, Heather! Your picture of Operation blasted me back to my childhood playing that game. I would get so nervous, my heart would beat fast, and I'd inevitably jump when the game buzzed me! Sounds like you have fond memories of your childhood. I like your comment about adults guiding children to explore the outdoors. I was very lucky to have parents that provided those opportunities for me as a child. I am trying to pass that on to my children because I believe being out in nature is good for every aspect of your life! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI really loved your post Heather. Not only did I rollerblade as well, I also loved to play many of the board games pictured above. As a child, I never looked at playing as educational; it was just something I knew I enjoyed, and it kept me from being "bored". As an adult, I remember many of the games I played as a child, and I honestly think had it not been for participating in play and with my peers, I would have grown into a different adult. Now as a mother, I encourage my kids to play often, as I now understand the many benefits of playing. Such a great blog post, I enjoyed reading it!
ReplyDeleteHello Heather,
ReplyDeleteI have played most of the games you have in the pictures you posted. Believe it or not, I am still playing so of those games with my own children. It is wonderful how your parents encourage you to enjoy both indoor and outdoor play. Because children of today are not freely encourage to go outdoor to play due to the danger that is frequently taking place. Another I like was your roller blade picture, I did not get that advance when I was skating. I barely learned how to standup without falling, as I skated on the four wheel skates.
Hi Heather,
ReplyDeleteAs a child like you I was very active. About 90 percent of playtime was done exploring the outdoors, climbing trees, playing with clay, invisible wars and fights, soccer, embroidery, fashion designing etc. The other 10 percent was spent indoor watching television when we had electricity. I grew up in a country were electricity was scarce. Though I did not like it at the time, I now realized how much fun I had as a child. It was a blessing in disguise.
Hello Heather. I have to admit that I was a child who preferred to be indoors rather than outdoors. I guess in a way I still do. I have always enjoyed playing board games and in my childhood I got really good at puzzles. In fact, one of the things I pride myself in now is being able to do those 1,000 piece photomosaic puzzles. You know the ones that are made up of tiny pictures? I think they are so fun and challenging.
ReplyDeleteHi Heather:
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post. I was outside playing all the time as child as well. As I consider my neighborhood, there are not many children playing outside.