My Connections to Play
"Almost all creativity involves purposeful play." ~Abraham Moslow
"In our play we reveal what kind of people we are." ~Ovid
Toys I played with:
Toy Kitchen
Cabbage Patch Baby Doll
The role of play in my life:
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As a child, I was the youngest of five children. I had many
playmates that delved into my imagination with me. And as the youngest, I have
to admit, I got to lead the play scheme. I often played in my make-believe
world. I took on the role of the mother and took care of the baby dolls. As I
think of play today, I think there is a greater emphasis on electronics. While
I was younger there was Nintendo and I did like to play games ever so often.
But I was more interested in going outside to my tree house or playing tag in
the field behind my house. I was lucky to have a playground close by and lots
of fields to run through. Where I teach today, the school district has many
townhomes and very little playgrounds. Children have Ipads, Iphones, Xbox, and
Wii. Although in the classroom, I witness the make-believe play in the kitchen
center and the imagination in the block center. It is not always so natural and
many children need to be taught how to play with others. My hope is that
children continue to engage in make-believe play, get outside, and interact
with others. I wish for every child to have a healthy balance between
electronics and interactive play. As I look back on the role of play in my
life, I think of who I have become. I always liked to play the mother or the caretaker.
As a teacher today, I see myself as a caretaker and I enjoy taking on that
role.
I think the way you describe the shift in play from active play to electronic focused play is pretty typical of what I see, too. In my post, I described over schedule children's schedules, but adults are over scheduled, too and I think electronic devices become easy babysitters and the has negative impact on creativity. I often have to teach children how to play in imaginative contexts, too. It really saddens me when play doesn't come naturally to kids.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth, you are lucky that you were the youngest and that you had toys to play with for me it was different. Like you I enjoyed outdoor play more than any other play. It was the most exciting time for me. I feel the children today have the best of both worlds but some are so focused on technology that outdoor play is no longer important.
ReplyDeleteI had a Nintendo growing up!! I remember playing The Lion King game with my cousins. I think that children don't really appreciate outside play anymore because of the advancement of technology and that is what consumes them.
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