"Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity". Kay Redfield Jamison Contemporary American professor of psychiatry
'If life doesn't offer a game worth playing, then invent a new one.' -Anthony J. D'Angelo
When I was a little girl my parents would let my sister and I play outside until the street lights came on. My mother would come outside to see if we were playing where she told us we could. We would go in the house to get a snack and a drink and we were back outside until the street lights came on. I remember riding my big wheel up and down the side walk. There were many times when we would race from one end to the other just to see who was the fastest.
The girls would play hopscotch when the boys were being mean or playing football. I would play with the boys sometimes but I liked to play hopscotch also. Can you imagine how many times I played hopscotch in a day? Each girl would draw her own hopscotch and we would take turns playing on each one.
What was a day without playing hide and go seek. I loved to play because I could run fast and even if I was found I could make it back to base quickly. There was another girl that was just as fast as I was. I hated when she was "it" I really had to run to get to base before she would.
The neighborhood I lived in was a great support to the children. They made sure that all the toys on the park was also in good shape. Once a month we would have a sports day. All the children would get together to see who was the best runner, hopscotcher and hide and seek player.
I feel the way children play today is different in one because of safety. When I was younger the parents looked out for all the children in the neighborhood just like their own. My mom had to meet the parents of any child that I was playing with. As a child I was encouraged to go outside and play with the other children. There were children that did not have toys we would share or make up games that everyone could play.
I hope that children today are allowed the opportunity to play and be creative the same way I was allowed to when I younger. Parents should limit the amount of time children can look at television and play video games. The parents should actually go outside and play with the children and it could be family time as well as play time.
