I have always felt the need to fiercely protect childhood and play. Why?
Kids at play epitomize exactly what we as adults all strive toward: living each moment with energy, confidence, fully engaged and capable, fearlessly exploring relationships, working to understand self and others, practicing compassion, problem solving, overcoming fears and developing coping skills.
I believe that all children have the right and are deeply driven to experience self-initiated, freely chosen imaginative play that is structured only by the child.
It’s about freedom and children’s rights:
The freedom to move your body
as it needs to be moved
in the way that you choose.
The freedom to think your thoughts
in quietness and safety
to be able to listen to and act on those thoughts.
The freedom to dream and pretend,
to try on different roles
to choose who and how you will become who you need to be.
The freedom to make sense of the world and find your place in it.
The freedom to listen to your own heart
to hear your own voice
and know that no one can take that away from you
no one has the right to intrude on your true inner self.
If there is limited opportunity for free play, how do you know yourself?
If the rule is always no running, how do you ever learn how far you can go?
If you fill your head up with electronics and everything outside of yourself, when do you develop who you are?
We fiercely protect childhood and play!
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in Child-Friendly Language
© Susan Caruso and Sunflower Creative Arts, 2012
Photos © Haidor Truu and Sunflower Creative Arts, 2012
Wonderfully written! Thank you so much! Can not agree with you more!
I want to play.
Mij
Susan is the guru for children. Amen. Karyn
Great, great post! I’ve been writing a lot about kids and play on my blog lately as well (feel free to check out my posts, beginning with http://bloggingboutboys.blogspot.com/2012/01/kids-play.html?showComment=1327421309874#c4545300941454274303).
We’re definitely fighting an uphill battle, but I’m encouraged that there are voices, such as yours, that continue to advocate for play.
Congratulations for supporting the belief that all children have the right to experience self-initiated learning!
I’m retired now but taught for many years. In my combined first and second grade, Choice Time for children’s self-initiated learning was an important part of each day. Each of five learning centers provided activities and materials to nurture a child’s excitement about learning. Concrete experiences serve as a background for understandings in the world around them. These provided an extra basis for abstract thought that would be a benefit throughout all academic areas. (Choice Time is appropriate for younger and older children.) The materials in each center were enough to capture the interest of the very brightest students and yet still be appealing to slower or younger children.
See my entries about the importance of providing a Choice Time for all young students.
http://peggybroadbent.com/blog/index.php?s=Choice+TIme+for+First+and+Second+Grade
http://peggybroadbent.com/blog/index.php?s=Opportunities+for+Cognitive+Growth+During+Choice+Time
Thanks Jennifer. Love what you have to say about boys and play. Yes all of our voices are important and I think we all need to get a little LOUDER!
Thanks Amanda! I checked out your blog and not only do we agree about play but we have quite a bit in common. My son just arrived safely back in the States after a year-long deployment in Afghanistan. All best wishes.