Posted on: Friday, June 28, 2002
Island Voices
A child's 'work' is to play
Maralyn Kurshals is Wai'anae community facilitator for Partnership for Hawai'i's Keiki.
When was the last time you allowed yourself to "play"? Do you remember what made you happy when you were a little keiki? How can we help our keiki become healthy and happy?
One day I heard a woman yell: "Why don't you grow up!" I looked around, expecting to see a sulky teenager, and there was a little 5-year-old boy pretending to be a surfer as his mother snatched him off a plank of wood on the sidewalk. As the boy looked down in shame, his frustrated mother tried to balance a large shopping bag filled with groceries. I couldn't help but notice she didn't look too happy being a grown-up herself.
Children learn by playing. It is their "work." Play is a way to explore the world, to interact with others, to build dreams and imagination. Play is a necessary part of childhood and even adulthood. "All work and no play makes Jack or Jill a dull person." Play is a way to balance our spirit.
Of course, it is necessary to teach our children the values of being responsible and working hard, but I believe a life without play deadens the imagination and spirit.
I also know that watching television is not play.
Television is a passive and addictive behavior. It does not support the imagination, help with learning and thinking, or allow a child to have control over his or her life. It is a great baby sitter and way for us to take a break from the demands of our children. "Why don't you go watch TV?" echoes in millions of homes. It has been said that by the time children are 5 years old, they would have watched 5,000 to 6,000 hours of television.
In addition, the lack of imaginative play in young children can result in depression and impulsive and out-of-control behaviors.
Play does not have to cost a lot of money. It doesn't mean we need to buy the latest technological toys with 50 million buttons and lights or the most expensive trendy new games or videos.
When I was little, I remember the most fun I had was sitting in a Christmas berry tree with my friends, creating "leaf-people" and making up stories about them. We would also crawl under the house and make lumpy pots and cups for the "leaf-people" out of sticky white clay.
Children love to play with pots and pans, wooden spoons, and old bed sheets and chairs that can turn into tents and secret hiding places. Making sand paintings with glue sticks or homemade Playdough can allow a child to use his imagination and encourages a sense of pride and accomplishment.
To play is to create, and by creating we nurture the heart and spirit. Healthy children must have time to play and dream so they can become healthy and happy adults.
Play and read to your child whenever you can — you will never regret the time you spend together. It is a wonderful gift you can share and your memories will last much longer than any toy you can ever buy. Here are some low cost "play" ideas:
• Homemade playdough recipe: 1 cup flour, 1 cup water, 1/3 cup salt, 2 tablespoons cream of tartar, 1 tablespoon cooking oil, 2 teaspoons food coloring. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and mix at low to medium heat for about 5 minutes or until ingredients form a ball. Empty onto a floured surface. Let cool. Squish, mush and punch. Store in an airtight container in a cool place, preferably a refrigerator.
• Sand paintings: Paper sand-Shells, rocks, other objects, glue sticks, soda box bottom. Draw a picture on the paper using a glue stick. Place paper in soda box bottom. Cover with sand. Shake sand off. Let dry. Glue other things on paper, if you want.
