As a child, my family would always say "Go outside and play". That is exactly what I did. I spent hours upon hours playing in the barn, playing hide and seek and playing on the swing set. One of my favorite activities was climbing up into the silo and pretending I was skydiving as I jumped off into the huge piles of soft fertilizer(manuer). I loved the openess of running through the pasture pretending that the "bad guys" were after us and finding what my cousins and I believed to be the safest and best hiding spots. We would entertain ourselves with the real live cows, horses, pigs and chickens. I learned alot about farm life through my play experiences. When not on the farm, I would still play outside. I loved playing with the piles of leaves and climbing trees. The climbing definately gave me practice at using my motor skills. I do not rememeber having many actual toys other than Cabbage Patch kids and a huge Strawberry Shortcake collection. I treated the dolls as if they were alive and could communicate with me. My babies would be students when I wanted to play school and customers when I wanted to open my restaurant. What a great excercise in using my imagination! I also mimicked my mother's behaviors towards my baby brother. I also recall how I loved to play in the kitchen. I would pretend to cook, play music with the pots and pans and create some interesting concoctions out of whatever I could get my hands on. My favorite was the dinner I made for my dogs. It consisted of butter, garlic powder and "hi-C" juice. I also remember that I would stack soup cans for hours and then bowl them over with my mom's bowling ball. Another favorite indoor pasttime was making a tent out of a card table, lots of blankets weighted down by several books. I would make the tent in front of the fire place and pretend I was camping. Oh, those were the days.
Today I feel that "play" consists of using more technological gadgets than when I was a child. Computers, television, I-pods and video games seem to be very popular. When I was a child we had television and cassette players but there were strict limits and we were encouraged to go play in our rooms or outside. We played board games together. For many families today (mine included) these have been replaced with interactive video games. We played with the neighbors and spent a lot of time actively playing by running and jumping. We created our own games. When not outside much time was engaged in quiet play alone coloring or playing with dolls or puzzles. Today I often hear "I'm bored" if technology and friends are not available. My hope is that parents will understand the value of play and the young will be encouraged to turn off technology for a moment and spend time engaging in other types of play. I also hope that awareness of the many benefits of play will continue to spread and children will be encouraged and allowed to "play" more often.
I love this quote, "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw. I am fortunate enough to have the opportunity to "play" at work on occasion even as an adult. Sometimes I get to participate in active, creative and dramatic play with my students. When I do, I love every minute of it!
Today I feel that "play" consists of using more technological gadgets than when I was a child. Computers, television, I-pods and video games seem to be very popular. When I was a child we had television and cassette players but there were strict limits and we were encouraged to go play in our rooms or outside. We played board games together. For many families today (mine included) these have been replaced with interactive video games. We played with the neighbors and spent a lot of time actively playing by running and jumping. We created our own games. When not outside much time was engaged in quiet play alone coloring or playing with dolls or puzzles. Today I often hear "I'm bored" if technology and friends are not available. My hope is that parents will understand the value of play and the young will be encouraged to turn off technology for a moment and spend time engaging in other types of play. I also hope that awareness of the many benefits of play will continue to spread and children will be encouraged and allowed to "play" more often.
