When I was training to become a Kindergarten teacher at the Centre for Creative Education, I did a workshop on play, presented by O.Fred Donaldson, Ph.D. As an educational consultant, he showed play as a universal and practical way to experience belonging. He believes that play inspires creative energy, trust and love. It made me realize how important play is in the daily life of playgroup and kindergarten children.
In Victorian times, the child was seen and not heard, today, some children are neither seen nor heard. Nowadays, there seems to be a rush to dispense with childhood as fast as possible.
In the 1950’s and 1960’s, before television, children worked hard at their play. Entertainment was made, not bought. Children created their own amusement. Homemade toys were still favoured, with not a designer toy in sight.
Today’s supposedly sophisticated, technological toys leave today’s children very little room to be creative and original. Currently children are not able to play in the street, outdoor play can be risky. Children have designated play areas. Most of the time children are cocooned in safety, almost always supervised and regulated by adults, waiting for childhood to be over, in order to gain some sense of freedom.
According to the educator Friedrich Froebel, play is the highest expression of human development in childhood. He said that the trend of the future life of the child is revealed in his/her freely chosen play.
Rudolf Steiner said that the individual gesture revealed in a young child’s play, emerge again in the characteristic way in which, after the age of twenty, the child will form personal conclusions. He links freedom in play and freedom in thought. Pairing the child’s ability to bring the right elements together to create his/her play, with the way we explore our mental landscape, to find ways to support our insights and judgements as adults.
In play, the emerging self is revealed. Outer play becomes an inner resource. The narrower the spectrum of choice, the more blinkered our thinking is likely to become.
Both Steiner and Froebel suggest that in the activities of freely chosen play, the child is telling us something about his/herself about the child’s own uniqueness.
Play, along with the love, and the basic needs of nutrition, health, shelter and education, is vital to develop the potential of all children.
Play is a means of learning to live and share, not a mere passing of time.
Playful adult thinkers are able to think out of the box.
Free players become free thinkers.
We’re never too young or too old to play.
Caroline Joseph
PREVIOUS KINDERGARTEN TEACHER