“My Connection to Play

“It is paradoxical that many educators and parents still differentiate between a time for learning and a time for play without seeing the vital connection between them.”


Leo F. Buscaglia quotes (American guru, tireless advocate of the power of love, 1924-1998


“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. Many functional skills like literacy and arithmetic can be learned either through play or through instruction – the issue is the amount of stress on the child. However, many coping skills like compassion, self-regulation, self-confidence, the habit of active engagement, and the motivation to learn and be literate cannot be instructed. They can only be learned through self-directed experience (i.e. play). ~ Susan J. Oliver (author, Playing for Keeps)

I grew up in the 1950’s and my childhood was spent with my sister and my grandmother who was our primary caregiver. I remember her putting crayons, pencils, brown bag paper bags, pots, pans, and big spoons in the room next to the kitchen where we played while she cooked, and did laundry. I remember making masks out of the brown paper bags and grandma cut the eyes and nose out for me. Those brown bags became puppets, pocket books, shopping bags, and anything I could imagine. Grandma would cut the bags open, and then the bag became a canvas to draw on. There are two programs that I recall Ding Dong School and Romper Room. This was my classroom. On the program the teacher would tell me what she was going to do next and the materials needed, and give a short time for viewers to run to get the items. When she said marching band, I picked up my pot and my spoon and I marched and played with Miss Linda or whoever the teacher for that program was. I got the broom when horsey time was announced. However I never understood why my name was not called when she looked in her magic mirror and said “romper stomper, bomper boo tell me tell me tell me true… I see Carol; I see Bobby", but never me. That really made me sad I waited to hear my name every day, but it was never called. Next grandma made bread every day, and I got a big piece of dough and made my bread on my little table. She baked my bread in its own pan, I was so proud of my accomplishment. I remember the wonders of play, and being armed with; a small ball, a bigger ball, a stick, marbles, soda bottle tops, chalk, hands, ropes (clothes lines), building walls, the street, side walk, light poles, stoops, man holes, parked cars, all of these things were a piece of a puzzle that created a game. We played for hours upon hours creating games making rules, and when we were called for lunch we could not wait to get back to our activities it was wonderful times. Now children are given a screen to sit in front of with rules that have been created from them it is sad. This leaves no room for creativity, problem solving or even exercise. Play for me was meeting the challenge of the day, and overcoming the obstacles of the challenge presented. I believe because of play my life’s challenges are just an extension of the game, so I just keep playing.



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