My Connections to Play

Play quotes

"Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity." ~ Kay Redfield Jamison (Professor of Psychiatry)

"Play builds the kind of free-and-easy, try-it-out, do-it-yourself character that our future needs."~ James L. Hymes Jr. (Child development specialist, author)

I was supported with play in that my father built me a play house in our back yard allowing for me to be imaginative, playing house, a teacher who had students, pretending I had a kitchen and cooking. Everyone loved to come to my house and play in my playhouse it was different and unique. I can remember feeling like I had accomplished something great by pretending to be a teacher and instructing my friends to do their school work. I would pass out paper for them to draw and create pictures. I also had a sandbox my dad built it was fun creating sand castles and pretend searching for treasures.

Play today is very different than when I was growing up technology has taken over how children play today. They don't engage in outside play as they did when I was a child. I grew up in the 70's and we had no technological games then, all we had were games to play outside. We would play hopscotch, double dutch, red light , green light, skating, hand games, bobby jacks (my favorite) and kickball. These were fun interactive games where we all would play at once not like video games where a limited number of people can play. I hope the young today are introduced to more play activities especially outside games where they are interactive and moving. I think the first Lady's "Let's Move" campaign is a great initiative.

Throughout my life we were made to go outside and play the minute we said we were bored. I can remember begging my mom to go outside and ride my bike in the hot summer months and she would say "it's to hot to go outside wait until the sun goes down." I would cry because I wanted to just ride my bike. I can remember just feeling free when I rode my bike.  The role of play is very important throughout childhood and adulthood. Play allows you to continue to  build social skills and stay active as you grow older. Play allows you to continue to use your motor skills, water play , bowling, bike riding are great ways for families to interact.