The Where - At Play
Play is nature’s teacher, and a core subject is creativity. In our desire to help our children, especially young children, we may interfere with free play, by managing activities, directing choices, or “teaching” too early, when children are naturally equipped to teach themselves by exploration, discovery, experimentation, imagination, and fantasy. Knowing nothing is an early creative advantage, believe it or not. The more we interfere with free play, and the earlier we do so, the less creativity can naturally grow.
You don’t have to spend lots of money to provide your child with toys that support creativity. There’s a reason that the stick and the cardboard box are members of the National Toy Hall of Fame. Can you think of more open-ended playthings?
As adults, we may undervalue the value of play in our lives – at home, at work, at rest and in our relationships. In being too business-like, we may actually be hurting business.
Books
Children at Play, Howard P. Chudacoff (New York University Press, 2007)
The Power of Play, David Elkind (Da Capo Press, 2007)
Online
American Journal of Play, The Strong National Museum of Play. Current and archived issues are free online. www.JournalofPlay.org
Play is nature’s teacher, and a core subject is creativity. In our desire to help our children, especially young children, we may interfere with free play, by managing activities, directing choices, or “teaching” too early, when children are naturally equipped to teach themselves by exploration, discovery, experimentation, imagination, and fantasy. Knowing nothing is an early creative advantage, believe it or not. The more we interfere with free play, and the earlier we do so, the less creativity can naturally grow.
You don’t have to spend lots of money to provide your child with toys that support creativity. There’s a reason that the stick and the cardboard box are members of the National Toy Hall of Fame. Can you think of more open-ended playthings?
As adults, we may undervalue the value of play in our lives – at home, at work, at rest and in our relationships. In being too business-like, we may actually be hurting business.
Books
Children at Play, Howard P. Chudacoff (New York University Press, 2007)
The Power of Play, David Elkind (Da Capo Press, 2007)
Online
American Journal of Play, The Strong National Museum of Play. Current and archived issues are free online. www.JournalofPlay.org