Learning Through Play

I hate to admit that I am old but I guess I am. Sometimes it is hard for me to believe that I am 52 and will soon be 53. The changes I have seen in my lifetime are nothing short of extraordinary. Funny, but I remember my grandmother saying the same thing. I know that there will come a time that my children will acknowledge the same. And so it goes, to be repeated by each generation that follows the one before.
When I was a child I played with a red trike, a doll and mud. There wasn't much else out there. I was blissfully happy clutching my doll while riding my bike and oh yes, covered in mud. { I have pictures } My sisters and I spent our summers playing, catching fireflies and pretending. Our imaginations were fertile fields that grew all sorts of fanciful fairy tale scenarios. It was so enjoyable a time that I still remember those summers that were so very long ago.
Play is so important for growing children. I am a firm believer that children learn so much through the simple act of playing. I am worried that the sophistication of toys, computer games and the ready abundance of movies geared toward children is taking away imagination fueled play. In other words, children are being entertained by things. The buzzing brightly colored bi-lingual games and toys children play with are expensive, flashy and just a little too easy.
One of the major differences I see in the preschool children I teach now compared to the children I had 20 years ago is that the children today are easily bored. In a classroom setting these children are busy with their writing, cutting, artwork and center play. During this time they are content. What I notice is when these same children have free gym or playground time they tend to lose interest and repeatedly ask to go back to the classroom. It seems as if they have lost the simple joy of playing.
The makers of children's toys and their marketing reps fill magazines and TV commercial time with ads on the benefits of educational toys and computer games. I understand the pressure parents feel to provide every opportunity to enrich their child's life with knowledge. We want our children to have that "edge" and at an early age. After all it is a competitive world. The only concern I have is that these games are so unnatural. They require very little manipulation. Usually just a point and a click. The information is instant and easy...too easy. Where is the mud? Where is the sense of discovery?
Maybe it is just me and I am getting old. But I do think the best way for children to learn and experience life is through play. When a child is entrenched in imaginative play they do not get bored. They can be anything or anyone they want and the possibilities are endless. I just worry that when the children I teach today grow up and reflect back upon their childhood, they won't remember how they played but only have a vague recall of antiquated computer games.
Questions or comments? Please feel free to "Ask Ms. Donna"