As a child I did not have many toys - we spent most of our time outside playing. I had a baby doll I liked to carry around with me and I pretended to be the babies teacher, my siblings and I would play football in the front yard with our neighbor friends and I spent almost every weekend in the mountains skiing or snowboarding.
Quotes that represent play in my childhood:
"Children should play outside and get dirty." - National Trust
"Don't just tell your kids to be active and to get outside to play. Lead by example." - Summer Sanders
When I was a child my parents were outside playing with us and taking us to explore the beautiful Rocky Mountains (which are basically my backyard), which is why I chose the second quote. We cannot learn to play when we are younger if nobody shows us how. When it comes to the baby doll I use to carry around I engaged in conversations with my mom about the baby and she would treat it like a person. This showed me how to respect toys and people in general.
I feel like play (for the most part) is completely different from when I was younger - watching my nieces and nephews grow up with iPhones, iPads, computers, and televisions in their rooms. We had one computer in my house (which was located in the kitchen so my parents knew what we were doing) and one television in the main room which was hardly turned on. This allowed us to go outside and use our imagination with our friends - nowadays all kids know is Superheroes and Ninja Turtles.
The importance of play and exploration in my childhood has made me learn to love nature, use my imagination, and live a healthier lifestyle. As an educator I have tried to express the importance of playing outside to my classroom children - there are some kids who don't like playing outside and want to be inside. These are the children I tend to spend more one-on-one time with on the playground to show them what to do and how they can have fun. Playing in the centers is also essential for children but I feel that is not where our children struggle, I feel that their exploration in nature is struggling.
Hello, I am going to comment on the quote, "Children should go outside and get dirty". I totally agree, it will hurt nothing or no one for your children to go into the world and experience nature. Getting dirty is a part of life, and I will always encourage it. I think some parents do not encourage for their child to get dirty because of the fact that they have to spend the time cleaning them up, my opinion. The younger generation just do not understand the concept of the full development of a child is more than just feeding, clothing, and bathing them. Children who play outside laugh more, which means, they are not mad. You can not keep a child shelter from the outside world. This messes with their social skills and their development. Feeling mud, dirt, etc sensory, hands-on play feeds children's brains and that is what a parent should want.
ReplyDeleteI agree! We have children that don't want to go out if it is even a little hot or cold. They come up to us outside and ask to go in. Exploration of nature is really becoming a thing of the past, I'm afraid. I learned so much as a child from hours spent outdoors. My own children act as if they are being punished if you want them to go outside. I also put a picture of a doll on my page. Even from a very young age, I wanted to be a good mommy. I spent many years carrying around my baby dolls and practicing to be a good mommy.
ReplyDeleteHello Christine,
ReplyDeleteI do want to say that I totally agree with the temperature distraction in this generation. I've learned to accept the fact that things are different. What I've also learned is that things don't have to be forgotten. I don't have kids personally but I definitely am around kids 24 hours!!! I couldn't imagine them not using play time in their life. Working with kids have thought me to be very compassionate and understanding.