My Connection to Play

My Connection To Play

Play is the only way the highest intelligence of humankind can unfold.” ~ Joseph Chilton Pearce (author)

“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)

 “Play is the beginning of knowledge.” ~ Anonymous

THIS DEFINED PLAY DURING MY TIME.  IF WE COULD PRETEND AND DREAM IT, THEN IT WAS A REALITY FOR US. NO NEED FOR GAMING SYSTEMS AND VIOLENCES, PURE FUN AND IMAGINATION.

When I was little, outdoor play, imagination was the greatest toy ever. I longed to get from school, eat, get my homework done, so that my siblings and I could go outdoors and play. We would play in the mud, make mud pies, and I have to admit, we would sometimes taste them (Y.U.C.K).  I would play games like: Old Lady Witch What Time Is It, Simon Says, Red Rover, Red Rover and Hide and Go Seek..etc.  If my siblings, friends and I could dream it, it became reality.  It was years before my mother moved us to place where there was upstairs, and I can remember taking the ladder on the bunk bed and getting on it, pretending that I was walking upstairs to the bigger half of the house, which for me was the top bunk LOL.  We had a crawl space under my grandma's house that lead to one side, and my siblings and I use to go under the old house and crawl out the other end, which today there is not a single amount of money that would warrant me to ever try that on a hundred +year old house. LOL.  Fear was not in our vocabulary, but pure fun, love, and enjoyment of nature was our focus.  My parents knew the value of play, expression, imagination, learning and freedom to explore, and I am very thankful for everything.

THIS IS WHAT CHILDREN CONSIDER PLAY NOW: HAVING THE BEST OF EVERYTHING, AND LIMITED IMAGINATION OR PRETEND PLAY; ON TOP OF THE DESIRE FOR TOYS THAT ARE MORE VIOLENT AND DANGEROUS

     

VIOLENT GAMES THAT KILL THE MIND AND SLOWS THE BRAIN DOWN

AND CAN LEAD TO CHILDHOOD OBESITY

        The children of today, to some extent have lost the true meaning of play, creativity, imagination etc.  I as a parent cannot say that it is entirely their fault because, we as parents buy our children so many things that take up all their attention, and we don't place the proper limitations on the items, so the toys become the sitter for our children, and I children abuse their privileges.  Children want gaming system after gaming system, children sit for hours upon hours, surfing the web and exercise is out the door.  Everything that children use to see as fun, is no longer valuable like play houses and tea parties etc.  Parents have to dream for the children, verses when I was little I dreamed for myself. 

Personal story:  My oldest son was shopping with me this week for Christmas items, and I begin to ask him what he wanted.  He had this big list of three big items and he was for sure, that his list was final.  Well, later on that day, I was helping my nephew pick out a gift, and my son saw that, and it wasn't but a few hours later, he begin to surf the web looking for the same item, which by the way, was not on his list. Jeffrey, my son asked me for a early gift of a psp, I went out and brought it new, with four games, case, charger etc a month ago.  My son now does not want it, and he will not play with it. He asked me to sale it, and now what was worth $180 is valued at $50 at Game Stop, and can be sold for about $75-100.  The reason I bring this up, is because we as parents think our children will not survive without having what everyone else's children have, and because of that we give children the opportunity to drain us dry with expensive things that they will not play with nor take care of.

Play is the essence of creativity and imagination, and imagination and creativity are the foundation of child's play, which.....

I SUPPORT, I SUPPORT, I SUPPORT

DO YOU?