My Earliest Memories of Play
My first childhood memory of playing was when I was around the age of 4. My older sister and I were in the yellow tub with our collection of littlest pet shops. We would always dump them all into the tub and create story lines between ourselves on the go. Creative little beings we were.. I remember making stories up where one had lost their keys, or stories where the main characters were in conflict. I can remember the rust built up around the littlest pet shops, and my hands becoming pruney from sitting in the water for so long, we would bounce off one another with our dialogue, and plot twists. I remember feeling fully invested in our story. It was a time of discovery, curiosity, and creativity without the guidance of an adult, we did not need it.
My first memory of playing from school was being on the monkey bars with my childhood best friends, we had competitions to see who could go across the fastest, and who could hang on the longest. I recall one time when I had decided to hang upside down and ended up slipping and landing directly on my face on the little pebbles below us. I remember the smell of metal and sweat on my hands, the smell of dust and blood when I did not gracefully dismount. I remember feeling embarrassed in front of my peers, and the pain in my neck. You would think I would have learned my lesson, but I continued to test my limits, building my resiliency and confidence whether teachers were watching or not I got to engage in risky play.
Image: https://www.zigzagkidsclub.com/taking-learning-outdoors/
Let Them Play
Today we are seeing a lack of play, both risky, and safe. Adults seem to have taken the perspective that we must be problem solvers for our children, and that unstructured play is not benefiting them in any way. Which is found to be untrue, as we are witnessing a generation brought up that is reliant on adults, with rates of higher anxiety, depression, lack of empathy and narcissism (Peter Gray, 2014). Unstructured play has become unprioritized although it improves coordination, social emotional learning, problem solving skills, resiliency, and reducing obesity (Alex Lockhart, 2017). Yet we have become afraid to let our children, and students engage in play, not just risky play. Part of the issue is that because it has become normalized most children are not outside anymore connecting with neighbours, everything has moved online, and parents are afraid to let their children roam freely because it is not common anymore.
Expectations from educators have transformed as well. It has become more common for kindergartners to endure a full day of school rather than half days we used to see in the past, and what I experienced. Somehow testing and data has taken priority over children getting the opportunity to play freely and learn from actualized experience beneficial for their overall wellbeing and futures. Play is no longer viewed as a way for students to discover the world around them. Now school has taken the approach to implement students as young as 6 to begin focusing on learning on skills such as mathematics, writing, reading, ignoring the importance of play based learning in developing cognitive and social development among other things (Rhea, 2022).
What Can We Do?
The first thing we must do as parents, adults, and educators is recognize the decline of play is a problem. Then we can examine our own priorities, are test results, and learning basic math facts as important as developing cognitive, and social development? The answer should be no, and if it is not, research the effect of the lack of play, and examine the world around you. Next, we can get to know our neighbours, and build community to break down barriers of fear that your child might be stolen if not supervised every minute of the day. Once you build a community you place where children can engage in play such as parks, green spaces, playgrounds, forests, or backyards. Additionally, we can stand up to those who do not value play and think that academic excellence is the main priority.
Personal and Professional Preparation
1) Developing an awareness of my worldview and how this relates to others’ worldviews
- By reflecting on my own childhood experiences with play, I recognize how my worldview was shaped by unstructured, imaginative, and risky play.
- I also acknowledge that today’s children are growing up in a different environment, where play is undervalued, and I am critically examining how this shift affects them.
2) Developing a growth mindset in collaboration with others
- I recognize that change is possible, but it requires collaboration between parents, educators, and communities.
- I advocate for challenging current norms in education and seeking ways to reintroduce play.
4) Demonstrating an understanding of the complexity of teaching and learning
- My reflection on play-based learning vs. academic pressures highlights the multi-dimensional nature of education.
- I argue that learning is not just about literacy and numeracy but also about social-emotional growth and real-world problem-solving.
Collaboration and Community Engagement
5) Practicing effective communication appropriate to the context and audience
- This reflection is an argument for educators, parents, and policymakers to reconsider their perspectives on play.
- I use personal storytelling, research, and advocacy to make a persuasive case.
6) Practicing respect for all learners from all cultures, including Indigenous learners
- Indigenous education emphasizes experiential learning and land-based play, aligning with my advocacy for unstructured, outdoor play experiences.
7) Practicing working collaboratively and collegially as well as independently
- I recognize that while play is an individual experience, making systemic change requires working together as a community.
Exploring and Enhancing Pedagogies
10) Engaging critically and creatively with ideas to be a change agent in society
- I critique how modern education prioritizes standardized testing and data collection over experiential learning.
- By advocating for more play, I position myself as an agent of change in reimagining early education.
11) Implementing pedagogically sound practices that link assessment, planning, and instructional strategies
- I emphasize that play itself is a valid form of learning and assessment.
- The skills children develop through play: collaboration, critical thinking, and resilience, are just as valuable as traditional academic skills.
12) Developing an understanding of how learners learn to cultivate effective learning environments
- I argue that children learn best through play, hands-on discovery, and risk-taking, rather than passive instruction.
- Schools must rethink what effective learning environments look like and reintroduce more experiential and inquiry-based learning opportunities.
Resources:
Peter Gray: Decline of Play & Rise of Mental Disorders
Alex Lockhart: Let Our Children Play
Rhea, D. J. (2022). Let the kids play: the impact of chaos on academic success. Journal of Kinesiology & Wellness, 10, 98–105. https://doi.org/10.56980/jkw.v10i.98
