"Play is our brain's favorite way of learning"-Unknown-
"Play builds the kind of free-and-easy, try-it-out, do-it-yourself character that our future needs" -James L. Hymes Jr.-
When I grew up in the 70's play was something we did on a regular basis. I learned so much by simply playing. I became a little creative child drawing things I saw outside, I loved riding my big wheel pretending it was a car. I can recall me and some of my cousins riding them to the park down the street from where we lived to race around the track. Sometimes I would take my doll, and pack up my tea set with some water in a mason jar to have a tea party at the park. We pretended to be at fancy places where rich people went to have tea. Those days were so special and the difference in play then and play now is that we could actually go without an adult because everyone knew each other and if we did anything wrong the neighbors would tell our parents or spanked us themselves. My parents and grandparents encouraged us to go outside while they cleaned the house and cooked; we wasn't allowed in the kitchen while food was being prepared. The other difference is that now so many children stay inside instead of playing because technology has taken over with video games coming out with new games monthly, facebook, instagram, snapchat is like the gossip channel. Children at a young age have set up all these accounts to see what their friends are talking about and posting all sorts of pictures often. Technology also has to be monitored because there are some predators out there who will send messages to children girl or boy to see if they can get a response. Throughout my life play has made me who I am today, I've learned so much from playing, I know how to pretend by changing my voice to be someone else; I taught myself how to ride a big wheel and bicycle. While playing with dolls I learned how to change clothes and comb hair. On the sketch pad I learned how to spell because I would practice writing sentences and spell different words. Jacks was how I started counting fast, adding, subtracting all from throwing a ball up in the air while grabbing one then to jacks at a time and so on until I picked up all the jacks without touching another one. Play has been a try it out, do it yourself part of my entire life. In order to learn to do something we try it out first and then soon it can be done by yourself without anyone's assistance. Play lets you be free to build, grow, develop and learn all those wonderful things that will be essential in your day to day life.
