“It is paradoxical that many educators and parents still differentiate between a time for learning and a time for play without seeing the vital connection between them.”
Leo F. Buscaglia quotesPlay gives children a chance to practice what they are learning....They have to play with
what they know to be true in order to find out more, and then they can use what they
learn in new forms of play.
what they know to be true in order to find out more, and then they can use what they
learn in new forms of play.
--Fred Rogers of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood
The lives of children today are much more structured and supervised, with few opportunities for free play. Parents are afraid for their children's safety when they leave the house alone. That is why many children are no longer free to roam their neighborhoods or even their own yards unless accompanied by adults. Children's lives have become structured and scheduled by adults, who hold the mistaken belief that this sport or that lesson will make their children more successful as adults.
In today’s world children have very little time to play. When they do have time, it's often spent inside in front of the television or computers screen. For some children, that's because their neighborhood, apartment complex or house has no outdoor play spaces. Children's opportunities to interact in a naturalized outdoor setting are greatly diminished today.
Christopher, your quotes were inspirational and I enjoyed reading about the freedom and time outdoors that you experienced as a child in play. It is a sad reality that nowadays parents are very concerned with their children's safety as news tends to be very sensationalized, creating much fear.
ReplyDeleteTime for play is precious and I believe we are all working with common goals in our many different programs to provide opportunities for children to engage in meaningful play indoors and outdoors.
Christopher,
ReplyDeleteI also thought your quotes were inspirational about play. Many educators and parents don't realize that there is a connection between learning and play. Today, children don't get the opportunity to play as we did years ago. Children have so much structured time in school as well as out-of-school due to so homework, and other structured activities. I feel that play should be an enjoyable learning experience and children should have the freedom to learn in a positive way.