My connection to play

“Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning”. Fred Rogers

 

 

“Play is our brain's favorite way of learning”. Diane Ackerman

The memories of my childhood are filled with the dirt under my feet and the fresh river water splashing all over me. The earth and the movement of its sheer beauty was my playground. My friends, siblings and I would run and play for hours and never get tired. When our grandmother called us in for dinner we quickly ran to the dinner table like flies searching for food. We gulp our food down as if we were fighting for air while trying to maintain table manners. Once we finished dinner we ran outside and continued to play. Adults in my life supported play by simply allowing us to explore our world. In watching children play I see some similarities to my own childhood and I also see things that are so different from my experience. When I played I had so much such joy. I was learning about my community and the people in it. When children play I see the joy in the faces and in those moments I think back fondly on childhood. However, I harbor a little fear for the way some children play today. They are glued to the television like a statute unable to move. Video games have become their world of imagination. The outside world was my playground to breathe and take in all that nature had to offer. Parents put their children in countless academic activities without any room to learn social skills. Playing with my friends and sibling allowed me to communicate and express my feelings openly and honestly. I see so many children incapable of communicating in constructive ways. Playing is wonderful, exploratory, and imaginative because it allows children to understand the world around them and most importantly themselves.