My Connections to Play

 

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

 

 

Essential Toys from My Childhood

 

Cabbage Patch dolls

 

                                                                           Barbie

 

Pretend Food

 

 

Pool Toys

 

Puzzles

The people in my life, mostly my parents supported the play in my life by allowing me the time to play and providing me toys to play with.  My parents but especially my grandmother when she lived with us, played with me often.  She would take on different roles, she would pretend to be a student or a veterinarian, so I could be a teacher or bring my stuffed animals to her when they were sick.   I feel that the play especially within home life today is different from my experience with play.  I was allowed to roam outside pretty freely with the other children in the neighborhood.  I had access to a pool growing up, my neighborhood and cranberry bogs that were behind my backyard.  I had toys but I did not need them to play, my friends and I would make up scenarios and create props from what we had around us.  If we were outside and playing doctor then leaves, flowers and sticks became the pretend medicine and bandages. Parents today are often afraid to let their child play freely outside and many children are consumed with technology.  My parents are still in the house that I grew up in and when I visit I do not see the younger families with children outside as much.  Nowadays, even in safe neighborhoods bad things can happen.  I think the role of play was essential in my learning.  I had many opportunities to explore and make connections to the world around me.  Play was the strong foundation in my learning and continued to be an outlet for me even in the latter years of school.