My Connections to Play

Two Quotes about Play

“Play is our brain's favorite way of learning”. -Diane Ackerman, Contemporary American author

“Almost all creativity involves purposeful play”. - Abraham Maslow, American Psychologist (1908–1970)

Reference: http://www.thestrong.org/about-play/play-quotes

            My fondest memories come from the times I spent with my twin sister. We would play for hours on end with the exact same toys my parents would buy for the both of us because we couldn’t seem to share. It was in those times that she was my best friend, my student, the butt of my jokes, my patient, and my enemy. We had some fun times.

            The caregivers in my life supported play as a child by encouraging us to play with the neighborhood children and providing us with environments that encouraged play as well. The role of play was significant as it shaped our social skills and made us emotionally stable when it came to being competitive.

Play today is characterized by stationary games such as video games and computers. Children do not get as much physical activity or exercise like I did when I was a child and “made” to play outside. Recess in school is also being taken away from their daily routine and extracurricular activities such as play sports or boy scouts is becoming less and less common.

The role of play throughout adulthood equally important as it is in childhood. Play enhances comprehension, creativity, critical thinking skills, physical activity, problem solving skills, and the ability to emotionally self-regulate which is crucial to maturation and growth.