Birds do it.
Kittens do it.
Even chimpanzee
In the zoo do it.
Why can’t
Little children
Do it, too?
I have received countless emails from frustrated teachers because they are “not allowed” to have blocks, or dramatic play, or art, or music, or recess…or play! The reality is that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy - and it makes our children dull as well!!! I have some insightful information and research on my website this month that gives credibility to play. It is not a luxury, but is essential to healthy social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development. Classic researchers, such as Jean Piaget, Sigmund Freud, and Lev Vygotsky emphasized the importance of play and realized that civilization and the world as we know it could not/would not exist without play. Children have a lifetime to sit in front of a computer and do worksheets. They have one chance in a lifetime to be a little child and play joyfully and spontaneously and fully!!!
PLAY is the child’s WORK and play is how young children learn best! It’s also the teachers’ work to be ADVOCATES FOR PLAY! The more you know about play, the more you can align it to standards and what is best for children.
Go to my website (drjean.org) to learn more about the types of play, stages of play, and how children develop through play.
