People tend to forget that play is serious.
David Hockney
Contemporary British painter
Contemporary British painter
Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.
Kay Redfield Jamison
Contemporary American professor of psychiatry
Contemporary American professor of psychiatry
Play to me in my childhood was riding my bike, playing 4 squares with my friends, and jumping on my trampoline. I loved coming home from school and doing my homework because I knew that I would get to go outside and play. My mom would always make sure that I have completed my homework first. Play consists of riding my bike around the neighborhood with my friends. Everyone had a bike and we would ride our bikes every chance we got. Playing 4 squares with a ball was a game we played hitting the ball to the person in the square trying to get them out. Last person in the square wins. This game was fun because everyone tried to get each other out. As I got a little older I played on my trampoline with my friends. We flipped, jump, and acted silly. Play was important for us because we were able to burn off energy and have a good time. Parents supported play by allowing us to play about in the neighborhood. We knew that we needed to be in the house before dark. All of the adults and parents knew the children and were watching us if we were by their house.
.
Hi Lavonda. I love your quotes and I love your entire blog. It is so true, play is serious and is a necessity in order to ensure the healthy growth and development of children. People often think that play is a privledge or a luxery; however that is not farther from the truth. Mary
ReplyDeleteMary,
ReplyDeleteI agree play is not a privlegde and is needed. I take play away from my boys but I end up given it back to them because their energy goes other places when they do not play. I can't take it so I let them play for at least an hour or two. It works cause they try to be good so they can PLAY.
Lavonda,
ReplyDeleteI am the same way with the safety of my children. So different than when we were children. I, too, used to roam around totally free on my bike all over town and new it was time to come home when the street lights came on at dusk. Like you, I keep my children very close to the driveway and would never think about letting them ride their bike all over town alone. I think being so free as kids was a wonderful experience that helped us to gain independence and see the world (or neighborhood) on our own – as our own person. There was so much more of a sense of adventure. Remember that hardly anyone drove their kids to school? Everyone walked or too the bus. Now the drop off and pick up lanes in front of schools are completely congested! Walking home from school was playing, too, and I have many fond memories of walking home and imaging things, walking up and down off of the curb as I walked, trying not to step on a crack on the sidewalk, etc. Children today don’t have the intimate knowledge of their own sidewalks, trees, and neighborhood yards anymore. It will be interesting to see what the impact will be – whether they let their own children out on their own or not. Thank you for your nice reflection!
Kathleen,
ReplyDeleteYou reminded me about my childhood experiance on walking home from school. That was the highlight of some of my school days. My home was walking distance and the bus did not come by our neighborhood. Thanks for helping me recall those memories in my childhood. But ZI would never let my boys walk to school or ride there bikes and we live just as close as I did to my school. Society just not the same anymore.
Lavonda,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your blog! It was so nice having the freedom to play outside during our childhood. I remember riding bikes with my friends too and all of the fun that we had. It is a shame that you don't see more kids riding their bikes. I agree when you said our society isn't the same anymore, and it really is a shame.