My Connections to Play!

“Play is the beginning of knowledge.” ~ Anonymous

“Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.” Kay Redfield Jamison (professor of psychiatry)

       Baby Dolls!

 My parents supported my play in a variety of areas. My mom was the one that was able to play with me the most because she did not work and we would play dress up, bake in the mini oven though I did not really like baking, games like memory, hi-ho cherry, dolls, etc. My dad would play most of those games with me too. I loved the Care Bears and Maple Town. I remember spending a great deal of time outside, I knew that if it was nice out then I would be playing outside. I remember loving to play 'house' outside and pretend I live din the wilderness. I could fit under our deck because it was high up off the ground and I would play in the dirt and mud with my kitchen dishes and live in a tree and all. i don't remember my parents joining me but they didnt stop me.  I was not very athletic so i did not play any sports or play those types of games with the neighborhood kids. My mom did not support me climbing trees but my dad did. My dad had a bedtime game he would play with me called 'the shirt monster'. I slept w a shirt that I would rub the sleeve of and at night when he put me to bed he would make it 'disappear' when I wasnt looking. In order for it to reappear I had to close my eyes and say three times " I want my shirt back". My dad would then get it back from the shirt monster. I do not know how long we played this game but it ended one night when my dad was out of town and my mom was tucking me in and we couldnt find my shirt. I told her the 'shirt monster' took it and how to get it back. Needless to say it didnt work.... My dad got an earful later on. I enjoyed collecting things like rocks, marbles, trolls., etc and even had a rock pet. We would go for walks and look for 'cool' rocks. I apparently did not like to play by myself and needed someone else to entertain me.


Play today compared to when I was a child I feel has changed a lot. There is more technology in today's children's lives and they spend way more time on the tv or the other technological devices. There is less play outdoors, less imaginative play overall social-dramatic play. I 'make' the boy I nanny play outside after school when its nice out and most days its a mini battle. He barely stays outside if there is nobody to play with. The levels and stages of play children go through is still the same but they types of play and how much per day i different. Its more 'planned' and academic then free and imaginative. I hope that despite the change in play and the lack of it in school children are still able to learn all the same things from other parts of life and are not affected to much developmentally.

Play is a vital part of a child's life. When children play they are developing their personality. It encourages interpersonal relations, stimulates creativity, adds to the joy of living, and advances learning. In order for children to build knowledge, increase abstract thinking and oversimplify their knowledge to new situations they must first gain firsthand experiences. To attract a child's attention to new ideas and concepts a teacher should use play. Research shows that dramatic play accounts for ten to seventeen percent of preschooler's play and about thirty-three percent in kindergarten. When children play they use joint planning, negotiation, problem solving and goal seeking. Play reveals not merely what children recognize but also what they are curious about. It teaches proper social interactions and responses and how adults conduct their life. I feel each  child needs to be able to entertain themselves and play with others. I grew up with a lot of attention and was mostly always entertained by others and I think this is one reason why I do not like to be alone and do not know what to do when its just me, even though there are things that I enjoy doing that do not require another person, like reading, I would rather have another being in the room with me. Play is a way to connect deeper with others and develop imagination and creativity.