State of Play~

“In the play between mother and baby, universes are communicated without words. The sensitive awareness of this special bond can be applied to all our relationships.”

~Peggy O’Mara (Editor and publisher of Mothering Magazine)

“Play is fundamentally transcendent. Through play we open doors of the known to the unknown…The secret of our success in terms of our own development, our personal spiritual journey, is to be in a state of play.”

“Mentoring the future of humanity is a gift, a profound responsibility and a tremendous challenge…Understanding that play is the essence of true learning takes the sting out of this responsibility. Right and wrong, winning and failure have no place in true play. How could we fail as parents, as educators and coaches if we are truly present with children, if we are listening and responding deeply and completely, if we are curious, expecting the unexpected, learning from the moment and creating a new response based on what we just discovered?”

“The adult agenda must first be able to relate to the child on a frequency that the child can understand, and then to be able to “play” in that reality, communicate on that frequency. The child is incapable of meeting the adult mind. The parent or teacher must enter into and embody the child’s mind, which is the gift of learning for the adult, rediscovering the childlike mind.”

~from Magical Parent, Magical Child: The Art of Joyful Parenting by Michael Mendizza with Joseph Chilton Pearce

CREATE THE SPACE NEEDED FOR CREATIVE PLAY : (from allianceforchildhood.org)

“Reduce or eliminate screen time: Give your children a chance to flex their own imaginative muscles. Be prepared with simple playthings and suggestions for make-believe play to inspire their inner creativity.

“Curtail time spent in adult-organized activities:  Children need time for self-initiated play.  Over scheduled lives leave little time for play.

“Choose simple toys: A good toy is 10 percent toy and 90 percent child. The child’s imagination is the engine of healthy play. Simple toys and natural materials, like wood, boxes, balls, dolls, sand, and clay invite children to create their own scenes and then knock them down and start over.

“Encourage outdoor adventures: Reserve time everyday for outdoor play where children can run, climb,find secret hiding places, and dream up dramas.  Natural materials sticks, mud, water, rocks are the raw materials of play.

“Bring back the art of real work: Believe it or not, adult activity cooking, raking, cleaning, washing the car actually inspires children to play. Children like to help for short periods and then engage in their own play.”

333k

0

10k