A Time to Play

Somewhere in the book of Ecclesiastes, the writer says,
For Everything there is a season:
A time to be born and a time to die,
A time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to keep silent and a time to speak
a time to hate and a time to Love....

Good words... they are....
But I want go further.
There is also a time to work and a time to play.

Most adults are pretty good at working. In fact, throughout our early life, we are taught that the only way to be successful is to work hard. A person's character is often judged on his work ethic. So if work is the way to succeed, then play becomes a waste of time.

But play is the soil for creativity. Play is the language of children. The world of make believe is a place in which children develop their own understanding and coping skills to face their world of reality.

Recently, a friend of mine was watching the news coverage of the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti. My friend said that as the reporter was telling the awful story of devastation, what appeared in the background were children playing. The children were finding a way to BE in this horrible situation.

When children are not allowed to play, the development of their minds and hearts are squelched so that they lack creativity and emotional resources which enable them to deal with crises. Play is more than goofing off. Play is moving in to a world of make believe that produces creativity and independent thinking. Play is a time for a child to relate to her environment through people, art, or imaginative objects. Within a safe and nurturing environment, children can develop those internal resources that give them resilience and strength when faced with uncertainty.

This blog is an avenue for me to play - so that I can write my own musings about children and play. As I continue to work with children through play, there will be moments of my own discovery. So come, lets play!