Childhood Connections to Play

My Connections to Play

 

“Play is the highest expression of human development in childhood, for it alone is the free expression of what is in a child’s soul.” Friedrich Froebel (founder of the concept of kindergarten)

“Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.” Kay Redfield Jamison (professor of psychiatry)

 

 

 

 

 

 

As a child my parents encouraged me to go outside and play.  I was not given all the fancy toys.  I was encouraged to make friends and to use my imagination.  My parents got us things that we could play with others, jump ropes, jacks, and balls. Our whole neighborhood would come out and play together and just have fun.  Parents would be out while we played talking to each other.  If all the parents were not out at least on parent from the neighborhood would be out there with us.

 

 

 

 

I feel that play is not the same as when I was a child.  In today’s society children are playing more video games and computer games.  When I was child I could not wait to get home from school and go outside and play.  Growing up we didn’t have fancy toys or games we played with whatever was available.  You ask a child today to go outside and play and they look at you like your nuts.  Do just run around and play is odd to them.  If a child is not at a park with all the equipment that parks have they will be bored.  Playing video games is what they consider play today.  I could go outside for hours at a time and play hide-N-seek with my friends, have water balloon fights, tags and other games that did not involve any toys and have fun. 

 

 

I hope that children today can learn how to put down the electronics and go back to good old fashion play.  Where they can be engaged with their peers and have hours of non-stop fun.  Children today don’t even play board games like we use too.  Another thing I would like to see is parents bring back game night.  Parents need to also be engaged with their children.  Have a night where they take away all the electronics and have a simple family game night.  I know it may be hard at first but if parents engage children will follow.

 

 

 

Without play I don’t believe I would be the same outgoing person I am.  I need play to help me develop a sense of self.  My childhood is full of great memories of myself, my family and my friends just having fun and playing.  Now that I am an adult and about to be mother I want to make sure that I instill play in my child’s life.  I don’t want my child to be deepened on electronics to have fun.  I want him/her to be able to play freely and use their imagination to have fun and explore the world in which we live in.