My Connections to Play

“Play is the highest form of research.” – Albert Einstein

“Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn.” – O. Fred Donaldson

As a young child, I loved playing mommy to my many cabbage patch dolls. I imitated my own mother as I pretended to practice the skills to take care of babies and small children, it's so true what they say; children really do learn through play!

A Ball! This was such a simple item, yet it brought me hours upon hours of enjoyment.


Play was supported in many ways, back in the day. Although there were video games, it was not promoted in my household, I was encouraged to use my imagination and was always outside with my friends. My mother would purchase family board games, that allowed me to learn the value of losing and winning. She would also quite frequently buy my brothers and I toys that enabled our creative side like Legos, puzzles, playdoh or just plain crayons and paper. Educators supported play by allowing myself and other children to quite simply, just "play" using our own imaginations, by giving us plenty of recesses and free play time.

Play nowadays is a fleeting idea, where the very aspect is diminished behind the boom of the technological age, and educational reform. Gone are the days of leisurely free play, where children can be open to imaginative creations. It's no surprise that our obesity rates are so high, and the shrinking abundance of play is certainly one of those culprits. Most children would much rather play on an iPad or video game, vs going outside. It doesn't help that the schools have cut out a large amount of recess and free time, in order to cram our youth with more and more academics. I feel that are youth have been deprived of the very innocence that makes childhood, light and carefree. Play allowed me to grow and thrive in all aspects of development from cognitive, to social, and even gross motor that I use throughout adulthood. For example my many adventures playing with my friends, equipped me with the life skills needed to share, be empathic of others, and take turns.
 I hope that through the collaboration of parents like myself who care about what's happening in our schools, and through research that continues to display the postive effects of play, that things will change.