Let them play!

Recently I read an article discussing the importance of intentional play.  For a moment I started to feel excited.  Here is the answer teachers in my school have been looking for.  Some of them feel "play" based curriculum is not enough.  "Wow" I thought, they can now make it intentional, they would have value to assign to their play. I paused and then my mind reset itself.  Wait a second, I thought.  This is just one more article, one more way that people who don't understand the value of free play talk.  The intention is already there.  Do you remember being a kid?  I do!  I remember one of my favorite activities.  I went to my neighbors amazing barbecue pit and cooked.  I made leaf soup, acorn soufflé, and stick pudding.  Sometimes friends played with me and sometimes I played alone.  I remember playing Kick the can with neighbors.  We ran and screamed with joy as we hid in the dark.  We prayed our parents wouldn't call us inside so we could continue our game.  I could pause here and start listing the developmental objectives that were achieved in these games.  I could tell you how I strengthened my fine motor skills when I cooked my pretend food.  I could tell you how I learned how to be a good friend when I played with others.   I could say I learned about space and size when I would try to hide in the tiniest spaces.  Is this what we need?  Do we feel play needs to be held accountable and defined and measured?  Maybe  we all need to go out and play... play golf, play tennis, go fishing, build a sand castle or a snow man pending on where you live.... just go out in your day and play.  After you finish pause and reflect.  You tell me... was that valuable?

I dedicate this first blog to my parents who let me play!