My Connections to Play

"You can discover more about a person in an hour of play then in a year of conversation." -Plato

That quote was certainly true of me since I was a relatively quiet child unless I was involved in play.  I am an only child so my play involved imaginary friends as well as real friends.  I loved make-believe play and could play house or restaurant or mommy or school for hours alone or with a friend.  I took this photo today.  Yes, I still have my favorite doll, Maddie and my rocking chair used to rock her to sleep.  The Wizard of Oz album I played over and over, acting out all the parts and singing all the songs - one of my absolutely favorite things to do. 

Here I am engaged in another of my favorite play activities - playing in the cold Wisconsin snow, rolling snowballs into snowmen with my dad or flying down a hill on my saucer or building a snow fort!

I grew up in the 60's when it was safe to spend a lot of time outside playing with neighborhood friends.  If we weren't swinging on swings, playing hide and seek and tag, or doing cartwheels, we brought dress up clothes and dolls outside and made our play house under the big tree.

You can see from my expression that I loved to play and as I recall I filled my days with it.  That is why I think this quote describes my state of mind when I was playing:
"It's a happy talent to know how to play." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

My parents had different roles in my play.  My dad was more active in play when it came to outdoors activities or any sports I attempted as I grew older.  My mom played cards and table games with me.  She was the one who made sure I didn't get frostbite - calling me in to warm up and put dry clothes on during the snowy play sessions.  They were wonderful facilitators in helping me find props for dress up and dramatic play.  They gave me the freedom to enjoy free play with the boundaries I needed for safety.

I see some similarities in the play I experienced in the 60's and play today in the basic desire to experience life through play, whether it is dramatic play, blocks, drawing and painting, or running and swinging.  The difference I see is that children sometimes struggle to keep themselves engaged for any extended amount of time.  They also need more prompting by adults to get their imaginations started.  Now children have computer games and electronics which were not even around when I was growing up. I hope advocates for play in the early education setting make their voices heard so children have that opportunity to learn through play.  Children are not as safe as they once were to play outside and enjoy nature.  Hopefully, parents will see the value in finding ways for their children to enjoy playing outdoors and exploring nature. 

Dr. Stuart Brown pointed out in his discussion of play that throughout life is essential to play in order to become resilient people.  I agree with his conclusion that play keeps us young, no matter what our age.  As a preschool director and teacher I am blessed with the opportunity to experience play with the children in our care.  I know that keeps me young at heart! 

Microsoft Research. (Producer). (2009). Play: How it shapes the brain, opens the imagination, and invigorates the soul  [Video file].  Retrieved from
http://research.microsoft.com/apps/video/default.aspx?id=103479