My Connections to Play
You are worried about seeing him spend his early years in doing nothing. What! Is it nothing to be happy? Nothing to skip, play, and run around all day long? Never in his life will he be so busy again.
When I was younger I was always encouraged to go outside and play. If I was not playing then my parents thought that something was wrong with me. My parents wanted my siblings and I to go out and be active with our peers. My parents would even come play an interactive part in our pretend games. There were many days when my parents would make the whole family take a trip on roller skates around the neighborhood. The children in the neighborhood could not wait to get outside to play. We would all rush home after school to do our homework so that we could get outside to play. I think that by being so active outside I was able to explore all different aspects of nature. I loved to go to the park. I could swing all day. I miss the days of just wanting and being able to play outside freely.
The prime purpose of being four is to enjoy being four - of secondary importance is to prepare for being five.
I think that children today do not value the outdoors. I do not think that they are aware of all the cool games that are available to them if they would just open their eyes to nature. The children today are more concerned with getting the highest score on the next video or computer game. Children do not know how to play nor are they encouraged enough to get outside and enjoy the breeze.
When I was younger I was always encouraged to go outside and play. If I was not playing then my parents thought that something was wrong with me. My parents wanted my siblings and I to go out and be active with our peers. My parents would even come play an interactive part in our pretend games. There were many days when my parents would make the whole family take a trip on roller skates around the neighborhood. The children in the neighborhood could not wait to get outside to play. We would all rush home after school to do our homework so that we could get outside to play. I think that by being so active outside I was able to explore all different aspects of nature. I loved to go to the park. I could swing all day. I miss the days of just wanting and being able to play outside freely.
The prime purpose of being four is to enjoy being four - of secondary importance is to prepare for being five.
Teresa,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that there are endless discovery and just pure enjoyment possibilities outside that children are missing when they spend most of their days indoors. One of my good friends runs an in-home family daycare in her farm, and my children love it. And I noticed that it is not the bunnies, horses, chickens, or all the animal excitement but just being outside finding butterflies and warms. My niece just loves to spin around outside and you can see the joy light up her face, and it is quite contagious.
Like you, I have vivid and happy memories of playing outside when I was a child. I wish every child could have the opportunity--sometimes (actually always) I think we'd be better off without all the technology that seems to rule us. Thank you for your beautiful post!
ReplyDeleteYou are certainly right! Children today are used to being inside playing video games or watching television. They consider being outside or playing hide and seek boring. As parents and teachers I think we need to help inspire that creative side of them by taking them outside and asking them to think of things that we could do for fun without the technology.
ReplyDeleteTara,
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post on play. I too find that play enhances learning. Children naturally want to play and it enhances their development.