My Connections to Play

“Play helps children weave together all the elements of life as they experience it. It allows them to digest life and make it their own. It is an outlet for the fullness of their creativity…”

- Joan Almon “The Vital Role of Play in Early Childhood Education”, Waldorf Research Institute

“When playing with sticks in the sand a child learns about the properties of sand… A child playing with tadpoles in a pond learns about the cycle of life, the properties of water…Children engaged in socio-dramatic play experiment with words, phrases, and idioms they have heard and learn new and more complex ways to express themselves."

- Francis Wardle, Ph.D, “Play as Curriculum“ in Early Childhood News

(This quote makes me think about all the little things in nature that taught me about the greater, more complex things.  I learned so much about life just by observing nature.)

Play was a major portion of my childhood.  By myself, I would mostly do exploratory play or make things.  I was very interested in things like bugs, crystals, painting nails, and making friendship bracelets so my family would often buy me sets of things.  I had paint sets, crystal-maker sets, nail polish kits, rock tumblers, etc.  I was also given a lot of free time to just explore and think about things.  With friends, I did a lot of competitive games, dancing and singing.  Upon reflection of how I played, I realize a lot of my play with others was competitive.  We were always trying to see who was the fastest, who could sing the best, who could write in cursive the best.  I remember dramatic playing too, but not as much as the competitive stuff.  My parents always enrolled me in before and after care programs as well as summer camp so I was always involved in various activities.  The adults in these programs always provided us with lots of games and creative materials for crafts.  They also encouraged us to explore our environment (we were outside most of the time, especially at summer camp). 

I used to love finding these!

Essential Play Items for my younger self... 

I don't know how many hours I spent in the dirt catching these guys

Fascination is an understatement. I really liked crystals.

Friendship Bracelets!

 Other children and I spent hours playing these...I won...a lot :-)

I don't know who introduced me to these but I think all the time I spent doing these (willingly with enjoyment) is the reason I can now write and spell so well.