My Connections to Play

Quotes About Play

 



 

"Almost all creativity involves purposeful play."
Abraham Maslow

"So, in all these spheres—in painting, sculpture, drawing, music, singing, dancing, gymnastics, games, sports, writing, and speech—we can carry on to our heart’s content, all through our long lives, complex and specialized forms of exploration and experiment."
Desmond Morris

Essential favorites from my childhood

 



When I was little, one of my favorite things to play was house, especially when my mom was ironing my dad's handkerchiefs.  I would pull up my play ironing board and iron and iron right next to her.  I also loved games, Barbies, dolls and playing with the boxes that toys came in.  My mom always allowed my sister and I to cook in the kitchen with her so at a young age, I learned how to cook and bake.  My house was also filled with musical instruments so my love for learning to play an instrument started early and I started playing the violin in 4th grade.  My mom would also teach us how to knit, crochet, sew and cross stitch.  There was always playdough, paper and crayons available to us on a daily basis.  When I was growing up, kindergarten was only offered half day.  This didn't bother my mom one bit as she would always have something planned for us to do together when we came home from kindergarten that involved play.

My parents divorced when I was 9 years old and it was difficult because my mom wasn't able to be home as much as she was before but she always made sure that we were cared for at night and worked at night so she could be home for us when we got home from school.  My sister and I learned to play alot of board games, card games and read books when we came home.  Being able to play games with someone else helped me problem solve and sparked my creativity.  Music and crafts also sparked my creativity and I believe because I had these influences in my play with the help of my mother, I have grown into a creative and flexible thinking person.

Playing outside every day was part of my childhood and it saddens me that chidlren today are not given enough opportunities to play outside safely every day.  When I was in junior high and into high school, my friends and I used to bike on the bike paths that took us miles from our home.  We would stop at a candy or ice cream shop once we reached our destination and then return home on the bike trail.  I learned to be very independent at a young age without the use of cell phones and only relying on my common sense and payphones to stop and call to check in with my mother.

I have tried to create some of my childhood experiences in my own children and the preschool children that I teach.  We are fortunate to live down the street from the public library and as long as my children are not walking alone, I allow them to walk to and from the library.  Their school is near a mall so on early out days, they might ask me if they can walk with a friend over to the mall to see a movie or walk around the mall.  My children know to call me to ask permission and check in with me throughout the day.  With my preschool children, I take them on field trips that get them out and about and discover their surroundings but I also take them out on the rainy and snowy days as long as the temperature is appropriate for them and everyone has adequate clothing for the weather.   On a rainy day, we might go for a short walk with large umbrellas so the children can experience sights and sounds of the rain.

I have found that as I became an adult, I want to continue to play because I learn alot about myself and what children might experience.  I believe as adults, we need to engage in some form of play to keep our minds sharp, relieve stress and keep our creativity sparked.

As I was looking for quotes about play, I found the website listed below.  I encourage you to check it out as it has a Play Museum and a conference in April that addresses the importance of play.  There are also articles and research findings about play on this website.

Website to check out dedicated to the importance of play:
http://www.thestrong.org/