The Barie Doll-many hours were spend dressing up, fixing the imaginary house with washcloths for beds and hand towels rolled for the furniture. The happiest times of my life were spent on the living room floor with my dolls all laid out and ready for play.
The beloved kitchen set-royal dinners were cooked in the kitchen and served on the very best of fine china.
The box-many hours spent in a box. The box could be transformed into anything you could think of. It could be a house one day, a space ship to Mars the next, or even an evac helicopter over the Pacific. There was no limit to what a box could be.
Favorite Childhood Quotes
When we play, we are engaged in the purest expression of our humanity, the truest expression of our individuality.
—Stuart Brown, M.D., researcher, psychiatrist, and play advocate
I have worlds to explore and things to uncover, give me my sandwich I am busy.
-----Kenzie Turner-brother
“The ability to play is one of the principal criteria of mental health.”
—Ashley Montagu, anthropologist
My Support System
My grandmother gave us everyday items to make into props to use in our play. We were given few tips or suggestions on how to use the items. We were not allowed to spend all day in the house in front of the tv, but were “encouraged” to be outdoors and involved in an activity.
My mother always encouraged us to use our imagination to make our own fun, she would make puppets and castles with us and help me to find “princess” clothing when needed.
I don’t feel that play is the same now as it was when I was younger. Maybe I feel that way because I was raised in a small town with no water parks or large recreation parks. Maybe it was that I was raised by two parents and a grandmother who were all teachers. I do know that I did not have access all the video games and internet access in which to use. My parents did not feel the need to buy expensive or excessive amounts of toys. I used what I could find for my play time. A good mud puddle and grandma’s best roses made for a great mud pie party. Imagination was the key component for my play. Children today do not seem to have a well-developed imagination in which they rely on. They want easy premade fun at their fingertips. I would not give up my afternoons under grandma’s crabapple tree for all the video games in the world. I treasure my adventures in my backyard.
The Role of Play in my life
My thoughts on play throughout my life-I treasure each and every minute of the play time I had. I have a wealth of knowledge from the books I read and the time I spent acting out the adventures of The Boxcar Children, Pippy Longstocking, and such others. Through play I was able to make sense of my world and the events in it. Play helped a child with anxiety unwind and feel at peace with her world. Even as an adult I do love to play, it just looks a little different. It still helps with anxiety and to give peace and refreshment to my world. Now I value the time I spend playing with my son. We build tents to go camping, dig in the sandbox for lost treasure, and race our cars in derbies.
Leslie,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing!! I played with baby dolls instead of Barbie!! I loved them! I still have several of them. My three fav games to play were 'house', 'school', and dress-up. I miss my childhood play days! I did not do too much playing by myself. My mom or dad or a friend tended to always be around to pay with. Thats great that your mom/dad/grandmother gave you household objects to play with and helped your imagination grow!! I agree that children are lacking in that area nowadays and that there is too much technology!
Leslie - It sounds like we grew up in small towns filled with big imaginations. Your kitchen set triggered the memory of the hours I would spend playing chef and baking in my easy-bake oven. I wish children today had more free-time to explore their creativity without technology. Technology has its place in developing skills but it can't replace the imagination of our own minds.
ReplyDeleteI loved to play in boxes as a child. I remember it was my house, car, spaceship and many other things I can't remember right now. Its funny how now my children create apartments and limos out of boxes. Boxes are amazing and great assets for children's explorations. Thank you for sharing.
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ReplyDeleteSo sorry I send you a comment but it didn't post the first time so I thought I had better test to see what was wrong. Any how, thank you for taking me back to my play days we must be fromt he same generation becasue I longed for the adventures of Pippy Long Stocking.
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