The Importance of Play to Brain Development

Lorie Barnes sent out the digital Milestone magazine earlier this week.  The article about  “play” included a reference to the video below, and I felt it would be worthwhile to show the video to my Thursday night Admin class.  What followed, surprisingly, was an in-depth conversation about the subject of play.  

I asked the students in a class I teach at Rowan Cabarrus Community College to recall a favorite childhood memory involving play.  Every student described a memory or memories that contained the following components:

• The most joyful play occurred outdoors
• There was an enormous sense of freedom because of limited rules
• Resources obtained in the outdoor environment were used as the source of play materials 
• Material was adapted to create specific objectives
• Activities, such as making a homemade skateboard, required cooperation, collaboration, innovation and imagination; coincidentally, all 21st century skills. 

I found the conversation very thought provoking, and I will continue to think about how this relates to the opportunities our children today are experiencing and the impact of how their experiences (or lack of experiences) may have on the future.   

Again, the video was the catalyst for our conversation.

Written by Katherine Generaux, Community Inclusion Specialist