“Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn.” ~ O. Fred Donaldson (martial arts master)
“It is in playing, and only in playing, that the individual child or adult is able to be creative and to use the whole personality, and it is only in being creative that the individual discovers the self.” ~ D.W. Winnicott (British pediatrician)
Play is important for a child’s growth and development. I usually participated in social play and/or fantasy play. Social play helped me to develop empathy for others and helped me learn social rules (Wardle, n.d.). I can remember how my mother encouraged me to play and use my imagination when I was little. My siblings and I would play outside, running, and exploring. We would meet up with friends and have big adventures.
I also remember playing house and having baby dolls. At times I would pretend to be the mom. I had a chalkboard and books where I would pretend to be the teacher. I think pretending to be different characters and role playing gave me many opportunities to learn about how the world works and how to socialize with others. I learned how to solve problems and would play out the roles of different people.
I feel play is different today than it was when I was a child. One big difference is that I feel children’s play time often revolves around technology. I enjoyed going outside and playing with my siblings and friends. Children today spend a great deal of their time playing video games. I think technology can be beneficial in a child’s learning, but it needs to be limited and supervised. I feel children today spend less time outside getting to really explore their world. Another way I feel play is different today is that children do not use their imaginations as much. Toys today are more realistic than they were when I was a child. I remember playing with dolls and pretending they would talk, cry, sleep, and eat. Today dolls are more realistic and actually move and make noises like a baby. I can remember decorating a box to look like a house and spending hours playing and using my imagination.
Play was an important part of my childhood that impacted my life even as an adult. I feel exploring my world allowed me to discover first-hand how things worked and helped me to learn how to solve problems. Learning was more meaningful when I experienced it for myself. If someone told me what to do and how to do it, then I really did not learn first-hand. Play helped me to grow and develop socially, mentally, emotionally, and physically.
References:
Wardle, F. (n.d.). Play as curriculum. Retrieved from http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=127
