"We don't stop playing because we grow older. We grow older because we stop playing."
~George Bernard Shaw
"You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation."
~Plato
Play in my Childhood and Adult Life: I loved being outdoors when I was a child. My grandmother and grandfather lived in Pasadena on a plot of land that was next to an empty field that later became a park. My grandpa built the house they lived in and he created a splendid cactus garden out front that I loved. I adore cactus to this day. I am still a big kid to this day. I love playing with the kids in my class and at summer camp. I still play jump rope. I love teaching the kids at camp jump rope and hand-clapping games. I love to be outdoors doing photography. That always keeps me in a good mood. I like to play board games and just sit under the sun on a nice day. I like to color in coloring books or create my own pictures and doodles.
Who Supported My Childhood Play: My grandparents always wanted us to play outside. They had us climbing the apple tree picking apples, playing in the sand box in the back yard, playing with the dogs, picking avocados, tending to the cactus garden, painting, drawing and writing about our days. My grandmother also taught us all how to sew and she would have us compete against each other to see who could make the silliest thing from her scraps. We took needle and thread and would sew for hours by hand.
Items for Ideal Play in my Fantasy Dream: I would definitely have to have some good old-fashioned outdoor fun in my ideal childhood play area/time:
binoculars, nets, bug boxes, sketch paper or field journal, markers, crayons, colored pencils, paint, easel, mountain or desert retreat space, camping supplies (tent etc), field guides for all manner of flora and fauna that live in the area, a tree house, gardening tools, telescope, and some friends of course!
How Play has Changed: Although times have changed, kids do still get out for the most part and play. I work for a summer day camp and we are outdoors all the time. The kids get a break from the electronic games and things and enjoy water fights, horse-back riding, caring for other farm animals, playing field games, telling jokes, swimming everyday, field trips everyday, planning a talent show, cooking, grilling, arts, crafts and more. It is a great opportunity to let kids run free and decompress from the confines of the classroom. I believe children still get out and play just not as much as they used to. My son still plays the old board games I used to play. He has introduced his friends to them. He also enjoys playing video and computer games too. He is a thinker and like to write. He also like to go on long walks. He swims and goes bike riding for fun as well.
Hello Kim,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your post. I think that's the coolest treehouse I have ever seen! Like you, I had special people in my life that encouraged play as well whether it was fantasy stories that we would tell or making race tracks in the sand. In some ways I agree that children do play similarly, but in my work with children I have noticed that children do not seem as capable of playing without having concrete representatiosn of things.
I love your quote about growing older because we don't play! I think I wasted time thinking I needed to shoulder all the stressful things as a parent in order to be a good parent when my husband was the fun one. Thank goodness I realized I didn't want to be that kind of parent; I wanted to have fun with my kids. I see the importance in good old fashioned laughter especially when stressed out. I also realized we can be good parents and have fun playing with our children (and taking time to just play and do fun things as an adult!)
ReplyDeleteHi Kim,
ReplyDeleteYour grandparents support of play and exploration made me realize how important the adult role is in encouraging play. Times have definitely changed and as adults and parents it is necessary to give children the little boost to encourage and support children playing. Did you have a tree house as a child? I always wanted one, now my kids have one. I guess I am living vicariously through them!