“My connection to Play”

You see a child play, and it is so close to seeing an artist paint, for in play a child says things without uttering a word. You can see how he solves his problems. You can also see what's wrong. Young children, especially, have enormous creativity, and whatever's in them rises to the surface in free play.

Erik Erikson

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

   

                When I was a young child I remember all the children had the entire block to play on. It seem like everybody were outside from the young and the old. All the older people was I aunties and uncles and we respected them. The children knew they could not do anything wrong because an adult was watching and would have freely corrected us. In order to keep up with the younger children the older people would have positive things for us to do. The people supported us in setting up different games for us to play in the empty lots we had on the block. For example:  One lot had a large volleyball net in it, another had horseshoes and the other had a place to play baseball.  I remember the adults played alone with us; which made the games better and fun. Another thing I remember is there were block cleanup; where everyone came out of their house to clean up the entire block and afterward everyone played in the water together children and adults just having fun.

                I live back in the time where the statement “It takes a village to raise a child”. The village back then was strong and standing in unity. Therefore when the children were playing the adults was always watching to protect them from harm, hurt and danger. The children knew they were safe to freely play and enjoy themselves each and every day. I remember playing the games like hide and seek, Mr. Freeze, rock teacher, double dutch and red light green light and many more.  My family, friends and I went as far as inventing different games such as: jacks and checkers by using rocks instead of the original pieces because we did not have them. Children in this day and time have not experience what I would call the real play, because the village is not there for their protection. There is so much violence happening throughout their neighborhood it is preventing the children enjoy themselves to play outside freely. So, therefore those different games I once played have not been passed down or even heard of by most children today. I one day hope that things will get better throughout each and every neighborhood, where people can come together again to restore the village. So, that child can feel safe again to play in their homes, outside in the neighborhood or wherever they choose to go. We must not forget children are learning as they play. So, it is important to provide every opportunity we possibly can for children to enjoy themselves through play, while they are enhance their developments skills and learn at the same time.

                I would love to rewind time to go re-live my childhood where I could play like that again. I used to go into my backyard we my sisters and friends and we would pretend to be mothers. We would take care of our babies (baby dolls or the youngest child that was playing with us). We would also pretend to cook food by pulling weeds for our greens/salad, make mud pies for cakes/cornbread and stems for our spaghetti. We would also pretend to sit around on the porch and talk like my mother and her friends.  I remember spending hours outside playing around my neighborhood. Everyone seemed to get alone with one another and if anything happens everyone knew about it. In my neighborhood I can truly say; knew each other, we all live together in peace, respect each other and took care of one another.