Play: A Game the Whole Family Can Enjoy!

The inspiration to take the time to write this post came from Annie @ PhD In Parenting. She is currently running a "Carnival of Play" on her blog and I decided I wanted babyREADY to participate. What follows are some of my thoughts about play and the family. Check out PhD In Parenting's blog site and read some of the other posts on other sites based on the play theme!
MOST OF ALL . . . HAVE FUN!!!

Play. It means many different things to many different people. When should a child start playing? How old is too old to play? Can reading be considered playing? Does “playing” have to be a physical activity? Oh the endless questions and possibilities. We could make a game out of deciding how to define play in our lives.

I don’t remember when, exactly, play became something that I wasn’t supposed to eagerly participate in anymore. I suspect it was a self-imposed rule as opposed to being enforced by my parents. That’s is one of the big challenges that parents of growing children face; how to help your child stay “cool” while encouraging them to stay “young” too.

I look at my 11 year old. He still loves to build with Lego™, shoot off Nerf™ Guns, and ride bikes with his friends. He, and his younger brother, love to PLAY! For them the more action and adventure the better and if there is a little mud to add to the equation then that is a recipe for a perfect afternoon.

This past weekend we hosted the birthday party for my, now, 11 year old. We knew it would be a busy weekend with family and friends and decided that a home-based party with his closest peers was the best answer. I sent out the email invitations and asked each of the children attending (ages ranging from 13 down to 6) to bring their Nerf ™ weaponry with them.

Once the party had started and all of the children were present and accounted for I sent them out to the empty schoolyard behind our house. I worried, unnecessarily as it turns out, that the boys coming to our place would think that this planned gun battle wouldn’t be as much fun as a Laser Quest,™ or Playdium™ party. The worry, as I have said, was unfounded. All of the boys had a fabulous time strategizing their moves, working as a collective and, simply, playing. I felt bad when the rain picked back up and they had to come in to get out of the downpour.

When I was a child I remember my sister being told to go outside to play and to stop reading. When my children were smaller and just beginning to read I remembered those times and wondered what on earth my parents had been thinking. Now, as my children lose themselves in books, movies and video games I have yet another take on the whole process.

I can appreciate that my parents wanted my sister to get outside for the physical benefits of running around, breathing fresh air and stimulating her senses. I still think that if left to her own devices my sister would be eternally reading. She simply finds such intense pleasure from the act. (As do many of us.)

I love that there is a whole world to be found in books though (or in movies or video games) and I think that there is play to be found on screens and pages also. Many people forget the role that our imaginations have in forming the kind of interests we possess. If I never read “James and the Giant Peach” then I can’t imagine the idea of floating, quietly and peacefully, over the ocean in an edible craft. I can’t imagine overcoming the fears associated with meeting new people. I also can’t imagine how to navigate the waters of forming friendships with a variety of people who don’t seem to have a lot in common. I think the non-traditional methods of play I’ve just mentioned, help to shape the kind of people we are and the way we amuse ourselves. They help us to expand our horizons.

We have included play as a part of our regular routine since our children were small. In fact, most nights you will hear squeals of laughter as all of us (parents included) race to be the first to get our pyjamas on. Or to visit the loo on the way out the door before a road trip. Or to get our hockey gear packed up before our weekly game of pick-up hockey with some of our homeschooled friends. The more I think about it the more I realise that there isn’t much time in our day that doesn’t revolve, in some way, around play.

I also think it is important for us to remember to keep engaging in recreational activities as we age and become important figures in the lives of other people. Many parents find themselves so busy that they forget the value and lessons which come from taking the time to participate in anything **with** their children.


With strangers in our neighbourhoods and bullies in our schools there are too many ways our offspring need to be encouraged to grow up extra quickly. Don’t make them resent the time they didn’t get to enjoy being children. Step back from the stack of bills, dishes that need to be done (and, for the record there is a game in dishwashing, clothes laundering and bathroom cleaning if you look for it) and beds to be made and just BE with your children. You will be amazed at what they will teach you and the fun you will have. Isn’t that what you really want, for your children to be happy? It’s SO much easier when you model it for them with your own happiness!!

Posted by Sam

Some of the other PLAY articles featured in PhD In Parenting's "Carnival of Play" include:
Let's Pretend
Carnival of Play
Play Ball
Loulou's Views: Carnival of Play
Beyond the Baby B's
Playing Pizzeria
Investing in the Art of Play
Play and Being Present
Creative Play is an Academic Pursuit
Time to Pretend
Play Day
Carnival of Play and Playdough Recipe
Think, Play, Nutrition, Rest for Long-Term Health of Your Children
Monday's Muse - the Blog Meme for Creative Moms
Carnival of Play: Water Play Activities
Silken Laumann Says Play