~ My Connections to Play ~

~ Play Quotes ~ 

“Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn.” ~ O. Fred Donaldson

“The opposite of play is not work. The opposite of play is depression.” Brian Sutton-Smith (play scholar)

“Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning…They have to play with what they know to be true in order to find out more, and then they can use what they learn in new forms of play.” ~ Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood)

When I was younger there were many people who supported play. My teachers, parents, neighbors, and other people around the community. I can remember in headstart we would have recess, at home after doing homework and on weekends my parents would always encourage us to go outside and play. At that time we were all staying with my grandmother and her yard was the biggest in the neighborhood in which we stayed. My uncle who is a couple years older than me would invite friends over and they would come over and play.  It started off just the boys playing basketball until my mom got out there with them and encouraged my sister and I to play. Then the girls finally started to come. Then before you knew it, grandma house was the spot to play. We went from basketball, to kickball, to dodgeball, to hide and seek, to play teacher. : ) (the good days) We would have a yard full of children. The parents of those children started coming over to see why their children were dying to get to grandma house and they ended up bonding and starting friendships with my grandma. My grandma would always encourage us and tell us to go outside and play. I can remember making mud pies with my cousins and when we played teacher the dirt road infront of our house was the board. We would use sticks to write and play in the dirt. I remember my first kitchen set. My mom and I would pretend we were having a tea party or even cooking and I would pretend to pour tea in her cup and we drink and talk. In playing I learned how to communicate, I learned gender roles, we stayed in fit, it helped to boost my self esteem which allowed me to positively accept myself and most of all I was able to form and build relationships that were meaningful and that I still cherish today. All because my grandma and my parents supported play.

Play today is not as important as it should be. Parents and society today are focused to much on academics and preparing children to pass test that they forget about how important it is. With technology taking over the world, the trend now is video games, IPOD, IPADS, Playstations and much more. I feel we are crippling and handicapping our children. On the health outlook so many of our children are overweight and obese because of poor diets and habits. Parents today, and myself at times are so tied up with making sure we buy our children that game they want instead of buying things that increases play. Even in pre-school now it's less recess time and more instructional time. My daughter who is two comes home with homework sheets to do. I thought this was a good thing and starting instructional teaching would put her ahead until now, I can truly see the difference and harm we are causing.

Play is very critical and is a very natural way for children to learn because it uses all of their senses. Playtime allows children to practice taking in information and organizing it to solve problems and understand their environment. Playtime gives an opportunity for children to learn, focus, and build self-confidence and self-esteem. 

Listed below are pictures of things I use to play with when I was younger.