The Value of Play
by
Rae Pica

Isn't it ironic that a country whose constitution allows for
the pursuit of happiness now feels a collective guilt about the very
idea of anything fun? How did this happen? When did we begin
placing so much priority on productivity and so little on leisure or
on having a good time? Even given the Puritan work ethic, life in
America has become so unbalanced that one side of the seesaw is
pretty much grounded.
But why must we insist that our children, who by their very
nature are playful, share these particular values? Why are we so
anxious for our children to "act like adults?"
But wait, you may be thinking, kids play plenty these days.
They play T-ball, soccer, even tennisà
Yes, these are forms of play. But the true definition of
the word, as it applies to children, is that it be child-directed,
open-ended, and intrinsically motivated. It also focuses more on
the process than the product, which cannot technically be said about
T-ball, soccer, or tennis, where homeruns, goals, and points are
typically the focus.
However, if we really must have "product" û that is,
results û from our children's activities, play has plenty of that to
offer, too. For one thing, many experts believe the adult
personality is built upon the child's play. According to Playing
for Keeps, all of the skills children need to develop into
functioning, productive adults originate from play. These skills
include literacy, mathematical reasoning, creativity, and social
skills. Among the social skills learned, the experts tell us, are
the ability to share, cooperate, negotiate, compromise, make and
revise rules, and take the perspective of others.
Surely we can see the value in such benefits û that these
abilities will serve our children better than the ability to name
the states' capitals! But, if that's not enough benefit derived,
Joan Isenberg and Mary Renck Jalongo, authors of Creative Expression
and Play in the Early Childhood Curriculum, argue that play
ò enables children to explore their world;
ò develop cultural understandings;
ò helps children express their thoughts and feelings; and
ò provides opportunities to meet and solve problems.
Additionally, play enables children to deal with stress and to cope
with fears they can't yet understand or express. Today's young
children are exposed to so much so early and must cope with much
more stress than their predecessors ever did. Pay gives them a
necessary emotional release and helps them make sense of everything
they're experiencing. And as Playing for Keeps points out, when
young children act out emotion-laden scenes in their play, such as
reassuring a doll that mommy will return, they learn to cope with
fears and gain the self-control that will bring them to the next
state of development.
Writing in Education Week, master teacher Sheila Flaxman states that
today's young children are controlled by the "expectations, whims,
and rules of adults. Play is the only time they can take control of
their world." She goes on to state: "The almost daily media reports
of out-of-control young people should be our warning that something
is amiss in early childhood." Indeed, retired psychiatrist Stuart
Brown, founder of the Institute for Play in Carmel Valley,
California, was quoted in Time Magazine as saying that "play
deprivation" can lead to "depression, hostility, and the loss of the
things that make us human beings."

For a great many contemporary adult human beings, balance is a word
that has come to symbolize something out of reach. Something
desired but elusive, as we work long hours, tend to families, and
spend what little free time we have as productively as possible.
What used to be considered leisure time (remember lazy Sunday
afternoons?) must now be filled. It doesn't matter whether it's
with "recreation," chores of one kind or another, or shuttling the
children here and there, just so long as we can say we didn't waste
it. "What did you do this weekend?" has become a question to be
reckoned with on Monday mornings. It demands a smart answer, just
as surely as did our eight-grade algebra teacher.
If you're an adult who's been giving balance some consideration û
who's tired of the treadmill û perhaps you find yourself looking
back fondly on what now seems to be an idyllic childhood. Back to
the days when time stretched endlessly before you. Back when there
were few demands on that time. And, except for summers, weekends,
and days when the darkness fell too early, there always seemed to be
plenty of it.
Shouldn't today's children have similar memories to cling to when
they become busy adults? Let's make sure they have quiet moments of
solitude. Child-initiated and -directed activity. A break from the
relentless competition so prevalent in society. Let's make sure
they have a chance to play!

Rae Pica is a children's movement specialist and the author of Your
Active Child: How to Boost Physical, Emotional, and Cognitive
Development through Age-Appropriate Activity (McGraw-Hill, 2003).
Rae speaks to parent and education groups throughout North America.
Visit her and read more articles at www.movingandlearning.com.