Childhood Connections to Play

First, a few quotes about the importance of play

In our play we reveal what kind of people we are.
Ovid
Roman poet
43 BC–17 or 18 AD
http://www.thestrong.org/about-play/play-quotes


“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”
George Bernard Shaw
http://planningwithkids.com/2009/04/14/10-quotes-on-the-importance-of-play/

When we stop playing, we stop experiencing life. Playing is practicing life.


A child loves his play, not because it’s easy, but because it’s hard.
Benjamin Spock
American pediatrician
1903–1998
http://www.thestrong.org/about-play/play-quotes

Especially at a young age, it’s hard not to have your feelings hurt when playing with others. Playing is hard because it involves the discovery of unknown; discovering who one is through feelings that emerge from playing with others. Children seek the company of others because they instinctively know that it is through others’ eyes they will see a reflection of who they are. Conversely, Chomsky’s theory on language development in children proposes children’s innate ability to learn a language.


Human beings need pleasure the way they need vitamins.
Lionel Tiger
Contemporary Canadian anthropologist
http://www.thestrong.org/about-play/play-quotes

A society where pleasure only retains its sexual application, forgets that pleasure is the result of the communion of body and soul. This communion creates a sense of belonging to the universe and gives purpose to life.

I believe that those boys who take part in rough, hard play outside of school will not find any need for horse-play in school.
Theodore Roosevelt
American president
1858–1919
http://www.thestrong.org/about-play/play-quotes

A hush society where children are expected to behave like adults at home and at school like grown-ups, forgets that one must explore all aspects of the personality. Since Theodore Roosevelt’s time, children’s life changed a lot. Cities and society need to provide recreational spaces for children to play, more parks with jungle gyms, more gyms for kids, more sports opportunities, more affordable after school high quality day care centers, etc.


Three essential play items for my younger self

Imagination/Enjoying being with oneself

This cube puzzle is a must because I spent hours dreaming on each picture of each cube and making my own stories of the movies that I had never seen.


Freedom/Feeling independent and in control

This is freedom on the move!


Self-Taught Hunter! Learning about and respecting nature

Food is bountiful in the yard and in nature.
Parks, gardens, and yards are places where children can experience Mother Nature, and learn how resilient, interesting and yummy life can be.


People who supported me
At about 4 years of age, I enjoyed imitating old people. There is one photo where I am walking half bent over a stick, wearing a scarf, and glowing from the enjoyment of making people laugh. In fact, my mother also on the photo is watching me and someone else was taking the picture. My mother is the one who supported me throughout my childhood in play as well as academics. She also was playful and I learned from her to take joy out of anything that life brought. I remember one very special evening where my mother desperately tried every strategy to make me understand some calculation. As I started seeing the humor and feeling the embarrassment of being so stubborn in the instant, laughter got hold of me and enraged my mom. The more she became enraged, the more I laughed. We both remembered the absurdity of the situation and had a good laugh whenever we reminisced about it. I think we were able to change a potential confrontation in play time where both of us understood that the time spent together, bonding, was the gift of the moment.
In high school, my mother also supported my joining the after school drama program. Dealing with his own preconceived ideas, my father could not encourage me at first. Through theater plays, I explored personalities that contributed shaping the woman I became.
Allowing life to express itself through play is showing unconditional love.

Is play different today than it was before?
When I remember the hours spent with my cube puzzle and how this supposedly idle time developed my imagination, I wish I had been more skilled at communicating this feeling to my high school students who had difficulty creating an imaginary scene. Of course, times have changed, entertainment is readily available, and pretending that this temptation does not exist would be foolish. However, creating time and space (don’t they go together?) where children can figure out what to do is an amazing gift to them. Surely, the famous phrase “I’m bored” will be uttered, but soon enough children will be engaged in an activity of their own creation. Because they will have tapped into their own resources, children will have strengthened their self-esteem, feel proud, and have gained a sense of autonomy.

Role of play through childhood and adulthood
Play is an integral part of my day. Playing brings me laughter and harmony with my surroundings. A day without laughing or playing is a day lost to feeling in sync with the universe. Customarily, light hearted people are seen as shallow yet I am wondering if there is any truth to the other popular thought that clowns are deep thinkers .