Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/play-a-good-four-letter-word/5026082/
Picture this: two preschool children at play in a block area. Together, they have created an elaborate construction of a zoo, with separate spaces for a variety of animals to live, containers for food and water, zookeepers to care for the animals, and signs depicting who is who in the animal kingdom. This scenario did not happen by chance. On the contrary, it took an elaborate amount of communication and negotiation to orchestrate—sharing spaces, materials, ideas, plans—not to mention the use of critical thinking skills, problem solving, fine and large muscles, and a whole lot of creativity. All of this happened amidst the context of play, a tremendous outlet for genuine learning tied directly to development. Yet within educational settings for young children, opportunities like this are being reduced, and are even disappearing. But at what cost?
In today’s society, both inside and outside of educational institutions, a diminished presence of play is becoming a stark reality. Erika Christakis relates this demise to a loss of an essential “learning habitat” children need, in order to take advantage of opportunities to explore and connect with materials and people (2016). For some, the growing opposition to allowing children to play freely makes it ...