My Connections to Play

"Imagination is where your child lives and when you play with him, you enter his world"- Chris Hathaway

"Play: (v) to make a big mess "

My Parents and How Play was Important

My mother and Father always felt that it was important that my siblings and I had time for play in our lives. There was never too much going on that we did not have time for an hour or two to play outside or inside.  My fondest memories of growing up in southeast North Carolina are not of the toys we had growing up but of times we would spend together as a family outside . 

We would ride bikes, play baskeball, or just run around playing hide and go seek. We would have water balloon fights or chase each other around the yard just for fun. Even now that I have two younger brother still living at home and will visit with my own children,  my parents still hold firm that play is important to all children and make time for all the kids to go out and just have FUN!

Play Today vs. Play Yesterday

Play does not have the same role in our children's lives as it did our own.  It has taken a back seat to the fast pace of organized sports and the hard core educational work ethic that states, play is not learning. For children or today there is no time for play,  no joy in just going outside just for the fun of going. Their attention is being pulled to "play" video games inside or computer games or any other media device, designed to enhance their veiwing pleasure.  Children have so many things that are fighting for their attention that we did not have as children. 

How Play has Contributed Throughout my Life,

Play is important throughout our lives, through play we learn as children and adults. We learn about the world around us and how we fit into as we are children. As adults we see how we can contribute further to it and learn to sit back and enjoy it more. Life is not all about work, its about how we enjoy it as well. Through play we can see the enjoyment of life. Play has always been central for me in that respect for I have always wanted to enjoy my life adult life as much as I did my childhood. I have wanted my children to have the same if not better childhood as I did so I encourage play for them as well.