Get Ready to Play!

by Cynthia A. Frosch, PhD

My son learned a new game this week. It’s called “Mr. Fox.” Someone plays the role of Mr. Fox— standing at the front of the room while a group of excited children calls out “What time is it, Mr. Fox?” If Mr. Fox answers “2:00,” then the children take two steps closer to him. 4:00 – they take 4 steps closer and so on. At some point, the children ask “What time is it, Mr. Fox?” And Mr. Fox yells “Dinnertime!!!!!!” Mr. Fox then races to capture children as they make their way back to a safe base.

Now, this game has really captured my child’s interest and enthusiasm. He loves it. We played it inside yesterday, escaping the Texas heat; just the two of us, for a half hour. Then my son played it in the pool with his dad last night. Today, I’m guessing we will revisit Mr. Fox in some way.

How is it that such a silly game could spark so much enjoyment? What use is “play” like that anyway? For this very literal mommy, playing silly games without a clear learning objective is well …. challenging. Play for play’s sake seems so pointless at times. Shouldn’t we be doing something “productive?”

Yet make no mistake. Play is productive. It produces joy. Energy. And enthusiasm. Play is meaningful. And play is hard work. At times, I think I’ve forgotten how to “play.” That somehow the experience of becoming an adult and “working” for a living has meant the end of play. But when I think about it, much of my work is play – play with words. Play with ideas. Play with people I really enjoy.

Can you recall the exact moment in your life when you stopped playing? The moment when play and the rest of your life were split? I recall it happening in first grade. First grade was the time when play was relegated to the playground (the acceptable venue for childish activities) and became time-limited. Yes, recess became the time to play. Learning was for the classroom. Playing was for the playground. But aren’t there other options? Like learning on the playground and playing in the classroom?

I see the enormous pleasure and excitement games like “Mr. Fox” brings to my son and I remember – yes, that’s what childhood is all about. And isn’t that what life is about?  When we find our joy, we find our learning. And Mr. Fox has a lot going for it – physical exercise, social enjoyment, anticipation, safety, power, time, counting. Good stuff.

I often joke that I may never move out of my neighborhood because of how much my neighborhood plays. I may have ended up on this particular street not just to live but to play. On my street, kids are outside climbing trees, swinging on homemade swings, sliding down slides, drawing with sidewalk chalk, sharing snacks. And my neighbors are such a playful influence on me. We have spent many leisurely afternoons outside with lemonade or watermelon slices doing nothing but swinging, sharing, and playing. Children and adults. A slice of Americana that I had never experienced before. When I see my neighbors out front, I grab my shoes to go outside and play.

This month’s blog is about play and more specifically, why play for young children matters in school. In March of 2009, a summary report from the Alliance for Childhood was released. The article, entitled “Crisis in the Kindergarten: Why Children Need to Play in School,” argues that the disappearance of play from kindergarten and early childhood is damaging to both our children and our nation.

Authors Edward Miller and Joan Almon highlight the results of studies showing that preparation for tests and standardized testing are now daily occurrences in many kindergartens. And in many classrooms, there is no playtime at all. The authors note that kindergarteners “are now under great pressure to meet inappropriate expectations… [and] are being denied the benefits of play – a major stress reliever.” They go on to describe how many experts consider the increase in academic pressure combined with a lack of play (and stress relief), to be contributing factors in the increase in behavior problems, aggression, and anger seen in young children today.

Miller and Almon outline 5 recommendations for creating better kindergartens. Briefly summarized, these include:

1. Making play a priority for children.

2. Eliminating kindergarten standards that are developmentally inappropriate.

3. Stopping the use of standardized testing in kindergarten and replacing it with more age-appropriate alternatives.

4. Gaining a better understanding of how current practices impact long term development for children from different backgrounds.  And

5. Enhancing teacher preparation – emphasizing the value of play and how to support the development of the whole child.

Importantly, the authors state that play-based kindergartens have clear advantages.  Not only do the children develop solid intellectual skills but they are likely to become healthier and better adjusted. Intellectual skills + social and emotional health and adjustment? Now that’s a winning combination.

So …..let’s play!

For more information on the Alliance for Childhood, please visit: http://www.allianceforchildhood.org/

To read the summary of Crisis in The Kindergarten, please visit: http://www.allianceforchildhood.org/sites/allianceforchildhood.org/files/file/Kindergarten_8-page_summary.pdf