My Two Quotes for Play
Play is our brain's favorite way of learning. -Diane Ackerman-
Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning. -Fred Rodgers-
My Essential play items
The Inchworm
The Role of Play in my Childhood
When I was a young child growing up in the 70"s were different from the way children play now. My childhood was awesome. I played in the mud, and made mud pies. I used cardboard boxes as my ovens for my pies to bake. We played games like; red light, Green light, Stop! Mother May I?, Freeze Tag and kickball. These games were made up by my friends and I. We ran and screamed and laughed until out tummies were hurting. I remember staying out until 1am in the morning while my grandmother and the neighbors would sit out on the porch and have talks. We would also play in the woods and pretend we were hunters looking for food. My favorite two toys were the baby doll; That -a way, and the inchworm.
The way play was supported when I was growing up
My family believed that we should get in the heat, and play until the we hours in the morning. My family supported us in play by getting out there with me making mud pies. My parents, and even grandparents played the made up games, such as freeze tag. They encouraged us to get out and run until we couldn't run anymore. I couldn't never say, I was bored. If I wanted to play something and didn't quite know how to get it started. My parents would assist me, but would always let me figure it out by myself.
What's different or similar from play in this generation and how play help me throughout my childhood and adulthood.
They way children play now is very different from when I was young. Today the children complain about the heat, or they are bored. They play by getting on the computers, Ipads, Tablets, cell phones, and different video games. They don't make mud pies, play in the ditches and woods they way I did. They are engaged with technology. The only thing that I see is similar to the way I played is that I have seen some children today play kickball, and freeze tag. As a child engaged play for me was the mud pies, that definitely taught me how to bake a cake. I used my cognitive skills to think out of the box. I made up games that taught us how to become team players, which I utilize now in my workplace. I am glad that I was able to get out and enjoy my childhood by utilizing my skills that enhanced my social skills. I was glad that we didn't have technology to hindered us, and make us lazy. That is why as an educator; I encourage play in the classroom. I utilize all my centers throughout the class. I want my students to be engaged and learn real-life experiences.
Lower levels of physical activity, both in organized sports and at play, account for a lot of the rest, they say. U.S. health authorities say children should be getting 60 minutes of active play a day, but only one-third are getting that. And from the 70s till now, the number of global households with TVs, VCRs, computers, Internet access and video games has soared. There's a lesson for parents in this, too, and not just that they to push the kids off the couch (Shute, 2013).
References
Shute, Nancy (2013). Kids Are Less Fit Today then You were back then.
http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2013/11/20/246316731/kids-are-less-fit- today-than-you-were-back-then
