Two quotes that I feel summarize what play represented for me in childhood.
“Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn.” – O. Fred Donaldson
“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.” - Fred Rogers
Essential play items for my younger self.
My bicycle with training wheels, my Barbie doll, my Nintendo with duck hunt game, coloring books and Spirograph to draw and color with.
The memories that I have of play in my younger years is playing outside with my friends, riding my bike, playing video games with my cousins, and coloring and drawing with my mother. I use to go play outside with my neighborhood friends, we would run, jump, play outdoor games like it and hide and go seek. Also, outside I would go bike riding with my neighborhood friends up and down the block. I used to go visit my cousins who had Nintendo and we will play duck hunt all day long. While at home I will play with my Barbie dolls, and which I loved to do my Barbie dolls hair and put new clothes on my Barbie dolls. I also loved to color and draw, especially with my mother. As a young child my mother taught me how to color in the lines and we used to color in coloring books together. Nowadays I don't see a lot of young children engaging in outdoor physical activity, and due to their environment a lot of parents aren't letting their children go out to play as a safety precaution. I also see a lot of children not enrolled in daycare or early head start programs, which can have an effect on young children socially. If the children were enrolled in such program they will be able to learn through play how to become more sociable, physical, emotional, and cognitive. Play is a very important aspect in children’s lives. Play is an action that allows young children to develop cognitively, socially, physically, emotionally, and creatively, which are the elements to a healthy development. Here below is a video about the importance of play:
