Saturday, November 23, 2019

My Connections to Play

Quotes 

“Play is our brain’s favorite way of learning.” -Diane Ackerman


“We are never more fully alive, more completely ourselves, or more deeply engrossed in anything than when we are playing.” -Charles Schaefer


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Image result for kids jumping ropeImage result for kids skatingChildren climbing the tree in the park illustration Stock Vector - 61180440

As a child for me play was exciting in that I participated in so many adventures. For a while I was the only child in the home besides my uncle whom is not much older than I am, lived down the street I played with anyone and anything. I became my uncles shadow and enjoyed every moment of climbing trees, hopping ditches on our bikes and attempting to play basketball. I will be honest basketball was most certainly not for me. There were a few girls in the neighborhood and the friends I had at school, we played house, doubled dutch, racing from one end a field to the next. That type of play build relationships, taught me limits, enhanced motor skills and so much more. Participating in play strengthen my social, emotional, cognitive, and physical skills. The families in the community looked after every child as if they were there own.

Play is somewhat the same with families looking out for each other when their children are at play. There are more differences with play than similarities. Technology is the main difference, children are given every electronic the ask for which takes them away from physically interactive with one another.
There are many ways that children can be encouraged to participate in play. I would stress for anyone that can participate to actively do so in their home life and in the classrooms. It may leave me a little sore but, I never hesitate to get down and crawl, roll or act out whatever the children in my life enjoy doing.


References

Yourtherapysource. (2019, June 7). Play Quotes to Remind Us Why PLAY is so IMPORTANT. Retrieved November 23, 2019, from https://www.yourtherapysource.com/blog1/2019/06/06/play-quotes/.

Andras, M. (n.d.). Jumping Rope in the Park . photograph. Retrieved from https://www.alamy.com/children-kids-girls-children-jumping-rope-three-standing-holding-mid-image2516952.html

Children climbing the tree in the park illustration. (n.d.). Retrieved November 23, 2019, from https://www.123rf.com/photo_61180440_stock-vector-children-climbing-the-tree-in-the-park-illustration.html.

Stone, J. (2019, September 28). Best Roller Skates for Kids & Toddlers. Retrieved November 23, 2019, from https://www.rollerskatedad.com/best-roller-skates-for-kids-toddlers/#.XdnJ6ehKjIU.

3 comments:

Garon said...

Hi Violanda,

I enjoyed reading your post!

I agree that technology seems to be one of, if not the biggest, obstacle to today's children playing as children in the past did. Technology provides instant entertainment and children learn quickly how to operate and access things that they enjoy via technology, but I feel like there is a lot to be gained from "old school", active/interactive play that today's children are missing out on.

Cheryl King said...

Violanda the quotes you chose by Diane Ackerman and Charles Scaefer is the reason I think play is an important part of learning for learners during this time they are hands on, their minds are in motion exploring and figuring out things. Play also helps them with social, motor and cognitive skills. The various activities you mentioned I agree helps with motor skills, cognitive skills, and social skills. I also agree when I was younger I can remember all the families in the neighborhood collaborating and looking out for each other. Technology has taken away from learners getting outside and exploring the world around them with their hands and interacting. Like you I try to make sure my learners are engaged in some type of physical play everyday. I enjoyed reading your post.

Lewanda B. Taybron said...

Violanda,
I enjoyed both quotes. I also enjoyed the picture which told stories of your childhood. The picture with the children climbing in the tree was an example of associative play while the pictures of the children playing double dutch and roller skating were examples of cooperative play. I myself was engaged in a lot of solitary play but expressed associative play and cooperative play through my dramatic play when playing with my barbie dolls. Even though you were the only child at first you would engage in play with others regularly. This is why as educators it’s not always right to assume if a child is an only child, they may exhibit solitary or spectator play. Thank you for your experience to certainly prove otherwise.

Personal Childhood Web

I have such a long list of people who have made a great impact on my life as a child. My mother is 1 of 10 children and my father is 1 of 12. However, the five people I must name are my mom, my father, my granny, my little brother Kelvin and my English teacher Mrs. Wells. For my mothers' family I am the oldest grandchild. That is a interesting role to have. Everyone looks to you for your first everything. Everyone wants to show you so much and it has all been useful at some point in my life. My aunts and uncles on both sides taught me a great deal. If I were to sum it up I would say that it equated to love and happiness. I was given so much love and support and as I got older I got better with being able to demonstrate the same love and support. My happiness was genuinely their happiness. From cooking to fishing to picking cotton I got to experience the things I encountered in my life by my choice.
My granny was and is my nurse, my ear, my box of all things good.
My brother was my first responsibility and confidant. I value the bond that was created between he and I.
I can say that every teacher that I had growing up had a positive impact on my life as well. My English teacher Mrs. Wells more so as she had been around to teach a few of my aunts and uncles. From the moment she discovered who my family was it became an automatic expectation of hers that I set an example with the others around me in how to speak and carry oneself. This is still something I feel I carry with me today.