Its Playtime!

As a teacher I have to rationalize why much of what we do in kindergarten--building with blocks, doing puzzles, and dramatizing stories--looks like play. My professional response is:

Play fulfills a wide variety of purposes in the life of the child. On a very simple level it promotes the development of sensorimotor skills, or skills that require the coordination of movement with senses, such as using eye-hand coordination to stack blocks (Frost et al., 2005; Morrison, 2004). 

But what I'd really like to say is:

Adults need playtime as much as children.  With all the hubbub of adult responsibilities, we lose who we are beyond our professional and family roles.

For this reason, my summer break is sacred. A summer full of deadlines (self-imposed and otherwise), family drama, and more schedule than I'm accustomed to, wasn't exactly what I hoped for. Luckily, I reserved plenty of time for playtime. And when I say playtime, I mean actual plays. As an escape, I scheduled four plays within three weeks at the end of the summer.That's right, I'm a genius! 

This summer, I attended Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors, Austen's Sense & Sensibility, Mary Poppins, and Wicked. Between SuperCaliFragilIsTicsExpiAlidocious and Shakespeare my soul was fed, my heart was touched, my funny bone was tickled, and my imagination was set free. 

Play is important.  As adults, we need to spare a moment to nurture the child within each of us.   Finding time to do what we love reminds us of who we are, lightens our hearts, and keeps us going.  If you need an excuse, tell your significant other, boss, or children that your kindergarten teacher said to do it.  I'd be pleased to take the blame.  

What activities keep your mind fresh? I'd love to hear about them. Leave me a comment!

For more on my summer of fun, read Sun, Surf, & Solace and Unexpected Sweetness.  Thanks for stopping in and go forth and play, my friends!