My Connections to Play

Growing up as a young child, I remember the play time I spent outdoors with my sister. We would get up early in the morning and head outside to start our day. We spent time exploring the trees, and the fields that surrounded our house. We would also head down the road to the neighbors barn, which we were allowed to play in. We did not have electronics or fancy toys to play with. We played with dirt and made mud pies. We used rocks and sticks to play baseball. We used our imaginations. I believe that so many children today do not have this opportunity.

Our mother supported our play by providing real items from her kitchen during our play mud pie making. She always encouraged us and ensured that we had ample time to explore and leave our creations to return to after lunch or dinner time. Playtime for me was the time to be whatever I wanted to be and do whatever I wanted to do. I had no limitations other than the limits of my imagination.

I remember playing school throughout my childhood. My mother would always provide paper, pencils, books, crayons and even a pointer stick for the teacher. I believe that my ability to develop this interest is the reason I currently work as a teacher. Children learn what their true interests are during free play. Do not constrain a child's imagination and watch him grow.

I remember playing with these when I was growing up:

"It is a happy talent to know how to play."-Ralph Waldo Emerson

"When children pretend, they’re using their imaginations to move beyond the bounds of reality. A stick can be a magic wand. A sock can be a puppet. A small child can be a superhero."-Fred Rogers

“Men do not quit playing because they grow old; they grow old because they quit playing.” 
― Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.