"My connections to Play"

"Play is the work of the child"- Maria Montessori

"Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning"- Mr. Rogers

 



 

When I was young my parents encouraged me to go outside and play which was a very exhilarating experience because there was nothing in the world more fun than playing outside with my friends.  I loved playing jacks, jumping rope, and racing with my friends up and down the streets.  The world was truly our oyster and imagination had no limit!  We learned to create our own rules for games and negotiated how to change the rules when the game became boring.  We also had to learn to regulate our emotions because maintaining friendships was of vital importance, because no one wanted to play with a constant whiner or someone with a bad attitude.

Children today are not afforded as many opportunities to play outside because with the increase in crime parents are fearful of letting their children go outside without supervision. So today’s children are required to stay inside and play video games in the house.  We used to play board games when we did play inside because of inclement weather which would still get our mental juices flowing, but today’s children don’t engage in board games as much.  When we played jump rope and jacks we strengthened our fine motor skills, gross motor skills, and math skills.  Play keeps you young and healthy and stimulates the thought processes in the brain.  Play also keeps the heart healthy and constant movement is the key to longevity.  So adults as well as children need to keep “play” an active part of their lives.