My Connections to Play

Quotes on Play

“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.”

Plato

“In play a child always behaves beyond his average age, above his daily behavior. In play it is as though he were a head taller than himself.”

Lev Vygotsky

 

            When I was younger I played at home with my siblings or we played on the street with children from the neighborhood.  Our parents encouraged us to play.  We knew we had to finish our homework first before we proceeded to play.  Play at home was always met with parental support.  Mum would have stood by the kitchen door and looked at us, smiling, laughing and encouraging us as we participated.  At times, we may have felt she was bias in her comments toward a sibling, however, that did not deter us from engaging ourselves fully in the games.  Dad worked very long hours so whenever he was around and we were engaged in play he can be seen relaxing on the outdoor bench and providing encouragement to a sibling and the rest of us may indicate to him that he is assisting that sibling to win.  However, we meant no harm; we were simply having fun and expressing ourselves.  

Playing with the children in the neighborhood was always appreciated.  There were only about 4 houses in our street so we were not too many in numbers.  Many times neighborhood games were in the form of cricket, we played heartedly and our games generated a lot of laughter, togetherness and excitement.  However, there were some restriction attached to neighborhood games, we were expected at home at 6.00 p.m. We were particularly mindful about the time to get home because if we defied the time limit then some restrictions were imposed.

Play today is different from the play I engaged in as a child because family time is no longer built around play activities that I engaged in.  With the invasion of new technology, the nature of play has shifted from highly physical and endearing in nature that allowed for exertion of self to a more indoor and less exertive in nature type of play and as a result of that we are realizing that there is a rise in diabetes, obesity and hypertension.   In addition, family life has taken on new meaning with activities for children almost every day of the week, ranging from school-related activities or swimming classes, lawn tennis practice or piano classes.  As such, there is a lack of that free play I engaged in as a child.

I believe that greater emphasis needs to be placed on the outdoor play because it holds tremendous lifestyle benefits.  It is interesting to know that the camaraderie and bonding that took place when I was a child is so absent today even among siblings.  I think the school can assist in this regard by ensuring that physical education actually takes place at least on a weekly basis.  I know for the kindergarten, in our country, they should be exposed to physical education daily. 

         Play has been a valuable part of my life.  I have acquired a lot of skills from engaging in play, all of which have contributed positively to my development. As I look around our society, I see so many young children who lack basic skills and it is clear that many of them have not engaged in a wide range of play–like activities which I was exposed to and as such they are unable to cope effectively with many situations.