Check out this article on the importance of playing for children. Our children need to play again, and not organized play like team sports or physical education. The benefits of imaginative, free play are numerous. Playing supports learning, creative and social skills, and abstract thinking. Our schools need to bring back recess, and we need to leave the TV, video games and movies for only special occasions. Lack of play is seriously affecting our children's social skills, problem solving and creative capabilities, not to mention their health. American children have obesity problems and Attention Deficit issues.
Perhaps parents and teachers need to model the appropriate behavior as well. Imagine all the adults and children outside again playing or inside making new discoveries. Maybe we all need to get in touch with our inner child and learn to play again. Get on the floor and pretend you are a panther slinking through the forest, or stand tall with a pot on your head and a broom stick in your hand and pretend you are Queen of your domain. The kids will love it and perhaps they may even help with dinner and cleaning if it is made into play. Pretend you are the steam engine of a train when loading kids in the car for school, and all the children can be different cars on the train with the caboose bringing up the rear. The children will laugh and pile in the car and you won't have to yell five times to get in the car. Think of how wonderful the world would be if everyone played!
Here's to your playful side!
ClearSkies
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