Quotes:
“Play energizes us and enlivens us. It eases our burdens. It renews our natural sense of optimism and opens us up to new possibilities.”
Stuart Brown, MD
“Play is our brain's favorite way of learning.”
Diane Ackerman
Growing up I remember summers at my grandparents house the majority of my cousins spent their summers there. On any given day there could be twenty kids there, that’s including kids from the neighborhood also; but I remember my grandmother waking us getting us dressed and giving us breakfast and then it was out the door to play for hours until she called us for lunch. We had so much fun on our adventures in the paths behind the house, using our imagination to take us different places. It really brings a smile to my face to think of the veggies we cooked using leaves and the mud pies we made for dessert. Lol Back then play was a lot simpler than it is today we could go out and play and parents would not have a care in the world on the safety of their child, not today play is lot more guarded today kids go out to play and don’t come home. I would love for the innocence of play to be given back and children allowed to use their imagination to explore and take them places.
I absolutely love and agree with the two quotes you posted about play! I especially love this one: "“Play energizes us and enlivens us. It eases our burdens. It renews our natural sense of optimism and opens us up to new possibilities.” I think this quote has a lot of truth in it! I think it's wonderful that you have so many wonderful memories of being at your Grandparents house. Play is so important for kids and it's a great way for children to learn! I do think parents should involve themselves when they notice their children playing. Did your Grandparents ever play with you or involve themselves in your play activities or did they just let you do what you wanted and let you have your free time? I'm a firm believer that play is given to a lot of children, it really just depends on the parents. Thank you for your post! Cute pictures too!
ReplyDeleteHi Tiffany, I love your first quote! Yesterday I went to an oratorical contest put on by the local Optimist Club and the young people were talking about how optimism has helped them in their lives. The speeches were great and after my daughter and I left there we decided to go on a road trip, so I picked up my son and off we went for a afternoon filled with fun and play. That was spurred on by all the talk about optimism! The two are definitely related!
ReplyDeleteI can relate to being able to go outside and play for hours. As I got older I spent more time indoors, but my mother had no problem with us going and exploring the neighborhood - my how times have changed! When my son is outside with his friends, I always keep an open ear & eye to make sure I always know where they are and who they are interacting with. In fact, they don't even go outside that much except to play football (soccer). They prefer to be indoors playing games on the computer or Wii. I have mixed feelings because I wish they could have the freedom to run around and explore the way that we did, but at the same time I feel more secure and at ease when they are playing in the house.
Thanks for sharing!
I remember the days of waking up and being told to go outside and play. I remember being outside all day with my friends. I agree with you, children today do not have the freedom we had. They do not go outside and play like we did, and if they could, they typically get tired fast and desire to go inside. It makes me sad that they can't enjoy their time outdoors.
ReplyDeleteTiffany I too can remember my dad doing those things. Each morning we would have breakfast and straight out the door for hours and hours of play. During our play time we got to know our neighbors and each other. CHildren don't have as much freedom as we did and most feel they are too grown to play.
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