My Connections to Play

“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.”- Plato

“A person's maturity consists in having found again the seriousness one had as a child, at play” - Nietzsche

I grew up an only child so I played a lot by myself. Even when I was with my cousins, who were boys, I would play by myself. I had my favorite toys (pictured below) that I enjoyed. I loved playing board games, cards, and puzzles as well. I would always pretend to play with someone else. To this day I can play a game alone and not cheat! Play was important in my childhood because it’s what I did to keep myself company. I was a serious child even at play!

Children play differently now than when I was a child. We spent more time outdoors playing games like tag, hide ‘n seek, and riding bikes. Today children spend more time indoors playing video games or other electronics. I didn’t have my first video game until middle school; I was one of the first children in the neighborhood to have one.

There was a time in education when recess was disappearing and children weren’t getting the opportunity to play during the day. However, that has changed since society became aware of the health hazards of inactivity that children are experiencing. So with recess a part of the school day children are learning how to play with playground equipment and games with their peers they may not be exposed to at home.

Play in childhood helps develop the skills that we need in life as adults. While playing you learn how to compromise, patience, negotiate, time management, communication, and physical skills.



Barbie Dream House



Baby Doll



Big Wheel