“My Connections to Play”
“Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning....”
--Fred Rogers of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood
“It’s not so much what children learn through play, but what they won’t learn if we don’t give them the chance to play
Susan J. Oliver, Playing for Keeps
“If you want creative workers, give them enough time to play.”
--John Cleese
The things I remember most about playing when I was little are fishing with my dad, gardening with my grandparents, and be outside climbing trees . There is a tree in my parent’s backyard that I loved to climb. It is a wild cherry tree and it was my oversized jungle gym when I was little. I can remember spending hours in the tree. It was the perfect climbing tree. There was a section of the tree that I named “hang gliders ridge”. I could stand on one branch and hang from one that hung down over. As I let my feet dangle I pretended that I was hang-gliding through the open skies.
“Children have always learned and created places for themselves through play.”
~Donna R. Barnes
My parent’s encouraged my brother’s and me to be outside using our imaginations. Unfortunately today I don’t think that most children have that creative time for play. Their free time is filled with video games and TV. My childhood memories motivate me to provide the same opportunities for my children. I want them to have time to play and explore and become their own individuals. I believe those times that I spent playing helped me to be the person I am today. I want to provide that same foundation for children as well.