My Connections to Play

“For a small child there is no division between playing and learning; between the things he or she does ‘just for fun’ and things that are ‘educational.’ The child learns while living and any part of living that is enjoyable is also play.” ~

           Penelope Leach (psychologist, author)

Play for young children is not recreation activity,…It is not leisure-time activity nor escape activity.  Play is thinking time for young children.  It is language time. Problem-solving time.  It is memory time, planning time, investigating time.  It is organization-of ideas time, when the young child uses his mind and body and his social skills and all his powers in response to the stimuli he has met.”

          James L. Hymes, Jr., child development specialist, author

 

Pictures of essential items for my younger self.

 

    

My mother was the first person to ever encourage play as a daily routine when I was young.  In my infant/toddler, we played games like peek-a-boo and this little piggy. When I reached the preschool years my play became more detailed related.  Pretend play was a major role for me. I loved to dress-up in my mother’s clothes and try to walk around in her shoes.  My preschool teacher was another person that supported my play development.  She always had exciting props setup in the Dramatic Play area.  On a weekly basis the area would be transformed into a many fun themes. One time it’s was Doctor’s office with Lab coats and doctors kits for us to explore. Another time it was a restaurant with menus, table clothes, chef outfit, and also money to pay for the food.

 

I feel that play is different from the play in which I engaged as a child.  Now a day, technology plays a very important role in play.  Running, jumping and throwing are being replaced by game dives. Technology on the other hand can actual is beneficial. Children with learning difficulties find IPod and IPad to be very helpful with their learning. 

 

The role that play portrays throughout childhood and adulthood is the ability to connect to others and being creative with different objects.  Play teaches adults how to have perseverance.  This is a trait necessary to promote healthy adulthood, and it is learned largely through play