My Connections to Play

A three year old child is a being who gets almost as much fun out of a fifty-six dollar set of swings as it does out of finding a small green worm.  ~Bill Vaughan

Children engage in such (free) play because they enjoy it--it's self-directed. They do not play for rewards; they enjoy the doing, not the end result. Once they get bored, they go on to do something else--and continue to learn and grow." - Sheila G. Flaxman

When I was a child, play was a great escape from a troubled childhood. I remember my sister and I going to the basement and playing for hours. There were not that many toys in the basement, but somehow we would keep busy for a long time. I loved to play board games. My favorite game was a game called Shenanigans. I never got bored playing this game.

I also loved my Barbies. My Barbies engaged my fantasy world of play. I pretended they were real and they spoke to each other. I also remember when I was about 8 years old, I had saved about $20.00 to buy the Sunshine Family dolls and the dollhouse that went with the family. I still remember my excitement and I played with this all the time.

I was not allowed to watch a lot of television, so I played a great deal through out the day. I remember pretending my stuffed animals were real and I was their doctor and I would give them checkups. I remember walking my stuffed animals in my room with a rope. My mom did not like too much noise so I learned to play very quietly. Outdoor play was fun. One of my favorite games was Jacks. My neighbors and I did all sorts of things outside, such as collecting bugs, swinging, and jump rope. Play meant freedom, I could be who I wanted and the worries of my childhood went away during play time.

The older I got the less I played. I still liked to play board games, backgammon, and chess, but life gets busy as you get older and play becomes less important... that is until I had my children. I PLAYED AGAIN!!!! I found my escape once again. I could play and escape from the reality of being a grownup. My Barbies I played with when I was younger, were soon replaced, with Rescue Heroes and Super Heroes.  Some of the games remained the same, and new games replaced the old ones. My boys are now 11 and 14, and play is different. We play family games but not as often. Play takes on new meaning but it is still possible. We play Guitar Hero and sing and play the instruments, we do the Wii Fit and take turns. Family games include Apple to Apples, Sorry, and Scattegories.

Play is much different now for children because of all of the electronics that are available. I did not have video games because they were not invented yet. It seems children play indoors for hours and hours, and when I was younger, children played outdoors for hours and hours. My children did play a great deal of hours outside and this play reminded me of my play when I was younger. My 11 year old still goes outside to play with friends, and they can spend hours out there. I hope that parents think back to when they were a child and remember all the fun they had without all of the gadgets and find time for their children to experience that kind of play.  I do believe deep down children are the same as they were when I was a child. Give a child a chance to play outdoors and they will explore the world around them.