A man is getting old when he walks around a puddle
instead of through it. R.C. Ferguson
We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow
old because we stop playing. George Bernard Shaw
I have many memories of picking wildflowers by the
bunch as a child and filling anything I could find to put them in. I remember also pressing them between pages
of books to dry and save. My grandmother
had this huge lilac bush that we would pick from and fill her house with the
scent of lilacs.
I grew up in Maine and we had lots of playtime
outside in the snow. I remember making
snow-angels, building snowmen and sliding down hills on toboggans and sleds
with my sisters, brother and cousins behind my grandparent’s house.
I can remember having big family picnics at the
state park with all of my dad’s family there-cousins, aunts, uncles,
grandparents. There were big wooden swing
sets and teeter totters to play on. We
toasted marshmallows over the fire pit.
As a child a lot of our play was based upon being
outside enjoying nature and physical activity.
We always had lots of big family gatherings and the kids all usually ended
up outside at some point playing tag, catching lightning bugs, picking berries
or some activity of that sort. We grew
up in a very rural area on a farm. There
were only four television channels, (no cable or DVD), no cell phone, computers
or video games. I can remember being
almost a pre-teen before we had our first Atari. There was always something to do or explore
outside, whatever the season. We had as
much fun in the snow as the sunshine. I
remember going outside and bringing in buckets of snow so we could help my mom
make homemade ice cream. We even thought
that turning the handle to freeze the ice cream was fun back then.
Play for us was very social, related most often to
outside activity and no batteries or electricity was involved. Today, I feel play is very different; almost
opposite to the extreme of when I grew up.
There is certainly limited outside time, limited self-directed or
exploratory play. Almost every child you
see these days has some sort of electronic device either in their hands on or
very close to them. I have even seen
parents give their cell phone to infants to play with the buttons. Where is this all heading? Far, far from the sort of play that we should
be encouraging and fostering in our children and the environments we are providing. There is much to be said about getting back
to nature and the basics…
I have three sons who are in their twenties
now. I remember trying to expose them to
a variety of activities- group, individual, structured, unstructured and
creative. Our house had lots of balls, blocks, books,
ice skates, and crayons in it. They
liked to run, swim, explore and just be outside. When they found something they enjoyed, we
continued with that activity or sport.
Each of them grew up with a love for music; of all types. They self- taught themselves how to play
guitar, drums and almost any instrument that they pick up. Band class was not nearly as fun and probably
as frustrating for the teacher as them.
The teacher saw talent, the boys were not responding well to the
confines of what and when the teacher wanted them to learn and do. This quote is a perfect example of this:
If I get to pick what I want to do, then it’s
play…if someone else tells me that I have to do it, then it’s work. Patricia
Nourot
I feel the role of play whether
you are a child, adult or somewhere in between is to help us stay refreshed, creative,
and enjoying life filled with discoveries and experiences that make life
interesting and new.
Nell, Drew and Bush included a quote
by Schweinhart, that states it quite nicely:
At birth, we first learn to make
sense of booming, buzzing confusion. We
learn from what we see, feel, touch, taste, smell, and do. We develop the special human abilities of language
speaking, listening, reading, writing, and discovering meaning. These new abilities enrich our lives with
whole new realms of knowledge, but they never replace our immediate world of
senses and activities. We learn what we
do, (2013).
They go on to state, “For
children, play is at the heart of early understanding about the natural world,
mathematical concepts, literacy, and social and emotional competence. For adults, hands-on play and reflection lead
to personal growth and foster insight into how children learn,” (Nell, Drew &
Bush, 2013). As adults, we must take the
time to understand and facilitate play and environments that are conducive to
play for children to optimize their creativity and potential. As early childhood educators and
professionals, we must take on the role of advocates and educate those who do
not fully understand the nature and importance of play in children’s and adult’s
lives.
Reference
Nell, M., Drew, W., & Bush, D. (2013). From play to practice. Connecting teachers’ play to children’s
learning. Washington, D.C. NAEYC.
