Play: This is not a four-letter word.Yet, modern society has severely
marginalized play, which denies a rite of passage — childhood! We have
unfortunately witnessed a 25 percent decline in play in our lifetime.
Play is a normal developmental process. To tinker with normal child
development is a dangerous experiment. Children (and adults) who are not
allowed, encouraged or choose not to play have less energy, less
interest, and less enthusiasm about life.And we’re not talking about
playing video games in the basement against friends sitting in their
basements! We’re talking about hand-to-hand, face-to-face, old school,
getting dirty, scraping your knee, hurting your feelings, real stuff
that helped shape us into adults that we are today.Play is a critical stage of learning. It is a learning process that is experiential and active. Play allows young people to practice “how” to survive and thrive in a community. It teaches young people “how” to learn, gaining the skills of persistence, grit, participation, failure, encouragement, and perseverance. Play is a process of experimenting and redefining important life lessons — a form of self-regulation. It sets a foundation for personal mastery.
