Professor Sharon

The three day weekend starting tomorrow reminds me of the importance of play for adults!  Next week in my Introduction to Early Childhood Education, we’ll talk about play: what it is, the stages of play, how to support it, how to help children who don’t have a multiple assortment of ways to do it, and as adults, how we do it.  The US has always seemed to have this mixed reaction and response to play.  It seems we like it alot, but somehow feel guilty when we do too much of it.  Certainly adults don’t understand the real value of play for young children and their learning.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, “Oh, he/she is just playing.”

Play is not only a way to learn and retain valuable life knowledge, but a relaxation moment so important to our overall health.  I’ve had a long, intense, and delightful September teaching and learning with students.  I’m ready to play.  The weekend will be sunny for the first time in weeks (and I mean weeks of rain here in New England), and I intend to be out in it: walking, hiking, sitting, recharging and thinking.  Oh, I have plenty of house repair jobs, and a lawn and a garden that could use my time – but I’m going to play.

It’s about a month old, but I found this posting on Huffington Post about the attack on young children’s play.  It says it all.  Think carefully about the importance of play, to you, your family and yourself.  Play a little, play a lot, this weekend.  You’ll feel better for it!   Today I’m thinking about play.