My Connections to Play

 

“Go Outside and get the ‘stink’ blown off of you!”  ~ Cheryl Sawyer

I loved reminiscing on this blog!  It brought back a flood of memories about playing in the very small town I grew up in and out on our family’s farm.  Play in my childhood was expected of me.  I am in my early thirties and way back when…. There really still wasn’t much for video games, t.v., movies, etc.  My parents were also very had working individuals; as I mentioned above we had a family farm and work for my parents never stopped.  Therefore, we were expected to entertain ourselves (if we weren’t working or helping out as well).  The quote above by Cheryl Sawyer is actually my mother, I distinctly remembering her telling this to us often!  Play was encouraged and outdoor play, exploring nature, climbing trees, digging in mud puddles was strongly encouraged.

My parents were very supportive of exploration.  They of course were always nearby to help out but they felt that our outdoor play/exploration was a way for us to learn important lessons for ourselves about health and safety.  For example; the following quote makes me think about how my parents allowed me to explore and learn from

my own consequences:

“I'll play with it first and tell you what it is later.”  ~ Bette Davis

Specifically, I remember a time when I loved to play out in our large back yard in my bare feet!!  My mother consistently warned me however, that it was not a good idea, that it was not safe and that I could get hurt.  But, I loved the feel of the cool grass tickling and tingling on my feet; the wet dew that made loose blades of grass stick between my toes; the softness of the grass and earth molding to the bottoms of my feet – how could you resist that!  Until, of course, I stepped on a bee! And my mother, of course, was right!  As I hobbled on one foot for about a week my mother would just smile at me and chuckle but, never once told me; “I told you so.” 

I believe that my parents understood the value of exploration and learning things for yourself, no matter what others tell you.  When you tell a child not to touch something because it is hot, they really don’t KNOW hot until they touch it.  We of course do not want children harmed or injured but play allows us to explore those cautionary tales while under adult supervision.

This story also makes me feel very sad for children today; life is just not simple enough to run around bare foot anymore.  The danger of today’s world makes parents and teachers very cautious about children truly experiencing the outdoors.  For teachers; if we let children run around bare foot and they stub their toe and break it – we can be sued.  For teachers and parents; you must be cautions about what is in your children’s environment.  For example; I went to visit a center in downtown Seattle and they shared a story with me about how their schools outdoor play time had to be cancelled because they had discovered a deceased, homeless person on their playground!  The world is scary; instead of stepping on a bee children could step on a needle, crack pipe, or any other host of very dangerous, life threatening items.  And this of course, only addresses the dilemmas of outdoor play!

“If you must play, decide upon three things at the start: the rules of the game, the stakes, and the quitting time.”  ~ Chinese Proverb

As far as play throughout life; it should never go away!  As the Chinese Proverb above suggests – there is no quitting time for me!  We MUST constantly remind ourselves to play, to go outside, to feel the rain and wind, to laugh and be silly and (especially as adults) laugh at ourselves!  Life is rough and one of the greatest escapes we have is PLAY; children know this and do it naturally, somehow we forget this as we get older.  It is important to remember that, at least, for every serious moment we take at least one play moment; to break away, give ourselves a break and come back to reality.

I have posted a few pictures to the right that were essential to my play as a child - and even today!