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.
\nIn 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.
\nIn the 1950\u2019s and 1960\u2019s, 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.
\nToday\u2019s supposedly sophisticated, technological toys leave today\u2019s 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.
\nAccording 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.
\nRudolf Steiner said that the individual gesture revealed in a young child\u2019s 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\u2019s 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.
\nIn 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.
\nBoth Steiner and Froebel suggest that in the activities of freely chosen play, the child is telling us something about his\/herself about the child\u2019s own uniqueness.
\nPlay, along with the love, and the basic needs of nutrition, health, shelter and education, is vital to develop the potential of all children.
\nPlay is a means of learning to live and share, not a mere passing of time.
\nPlayful adult thinkers are able to think out of the box.
\nFree players become free thinkers.
\nWe\u2019re never too young or too old to play.<\/p>\n
Caroline Joseph
\nPREVIOUS KINDERGARTEN TEACHER <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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 …<\/p>\n