Play now and play in my day…hmm…I see a lot of the same things. Children today enjoy the same simple games like tag and checkers. They also enjoy making things and exploring things, asking questions about life and why things are the way they are. I also grew up playing video games (Super Mario Brothers, Sonic the Hedgehog, Mortal Combat) and I turned out ok. I think I had a good balance of "screen" time and creative play time. I hope that children today are encouraged to do the same. I also hope children will always be able to enjoy the simple things. My biggest hope is that children continue to be fascinated with nature and have opportunities to really explore and commune with the environment around them. I also hope the world around them never ceases to amaze them, challenge them, teach them, and inspire them and that they would always have eyes and ears to really experience it.
Regarding the role of play throughout my life, I think it has been essential at revealing pieces of who I am. I learned so much about my own creativity, skills, and intelligences through play. i don’t think play stops with childhood either. Adults play too. I think play is just necessary for humans period. We all need unhindered time to do things we actually like to do and to discover ourselves and the world around us.
