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"It is in playing, and only in playing, that the individual
child or adult is able to be creative and to use the whole personality, and
it is only in being creative that the individual discovers the self."
D.W. Winnicott, British pediatrician
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“Play energizes us and enlivens us. It eases our burdens. It renews our natural sense of optimism and
opens up to new possibilities.”
Stuart Brown, MD
Contemporary American Psychiatrist
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Growing
up I felt that my parents gave me the opportunity to play during my
childhood. My parents encouraged my
sisters and me to go outside and play.
My parents did not want us spending the day “vegetating” in front of the
television all day. Once outside I
remember enjoying running around outside with my friends and siblings. We would play games such as hide and seek,
tag and red rover. We would also ride
our bikes up and down the neighborhood.
I remember placing cards in the spikes of the tire to make the
motorcycle sound. The only rule my
parents had with us playing outside was to be in before it got dark. My parents also encouraged us to play freely
with toys like Barbie dolls and art materials.
I felt that my parents helped facilitate the importance of play growing
up by ensuring we had items to use our imagination. My mom would play along with us with our Barbie
dolls and other toys. My dad was great
for taking us outside for family bike rides.
Having
the opportunity to ride outside, especially on sunny days was my favorite thing
to do. I loved being outside and exploring
nature.
I enjoyed drawing
pictures. Especially
cartoons,.
I loved barbies. My favorite was to be mommy.
