"Children need the freedom and time to play.  Play is not a luxury.  Play is  a necessity." - Kay Redfield Jamison

"The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct." - Carl Jung

Items that were part of my daily play:

           

Cabbage Patch                                  Etch-A-Sketch

During my childhood, play was the norm.  I was able to engage in imaginative play while at school and at home.  The adults in my life supported my play by making materials available to me and  encouraging me to continue in play.  When I was younger, I would read books and watch some television but my most vivid  memories are tied to play.  I remember going into the back yard with my cousins where we would make mud pies, or walking over to the neighbors house so we could skate up and down the street.  At other times, we would play inside (dress-up, pretend to be in school, taking turns being teacher vs. student).

Play today is so different vs. when I was growing up in the 80s.  There was hardly any technology back then but today, children are more likely to pick up an electronic device as opposed to a physical, non-battery operated object for entertainment.  Items like the two above made me use my imagination and required me to engage with others to set rules and even work on conflict resolution.  I believe that if some children were given these items, they would not know where to begin and due to the lack of electricity, they would question whether or not they worked.  With the Cabbage Patch, I could play mom, teacher or best friend.  With the Etch-A-Sketch, I learned about patterns, creativity and most importantly, it was a soothing activity to engage in.

The role of play evolves over time but it is still important.  How one plays evolves over time.  When we're younger, we play with toy cars and babies and the like.  When we grow up, we have real cars and babies and we understand that playing with these items prepared us for adulthood.  Also, the way we play evolves over times.  Whether we play in a group (social time with friends, with our children, or with children within our programs) or individually (playing a round of golf, exercising), play is always necessary.  The goals may change (i.e. exercising when younger because it was a requirement for participation in school vs. doing so now to maintain a healthy lifestyle) but the need to play never dies!