My good friend Risa( Reeeeesah!!) sent a link today to a fascinating article about the Serious Need for Free Play. The article goes into great depth regarding how children need... NEED to play. I don't mean they need to play chess, or they NEED to play the violin... they NEED to play fairies and dress up, wrestling and chase. They need games where they are the villain or they are the hero, they need to build forts, play with legos, look through paper tubes, create worlds in their bath tubs. Children need to use their imaginations and, as Jack says, they need to spend some time " 'tendin' ". Jack and Jessie both are GREAT pretenders. They are often rescuing wild ( and totally imaginary ) beasts from various worldly locales. They pretend to be creatures themselves, the picnic table is everything from a fort, to a boat, to a magic school bus. This very evening Jack went out to the garden as it was growing dark. I wasn't sure what he was doing, but apparently he was planting candy trees!!! I later saw him go out again and water them!! ;D
When I first read the article my initial thought was one of concern. As homeschoolers maybe Jessie isn't getting enough play time with friends of her own age. She does have various homeschooled friends and we see them at least once every couple of weeks if not more.... but perhaps she needs more friends to play make believe with... maybe she needs more pretending....???? then I thought about it. Jessie and Jack play make believe every.single.day and I have nothing at all to do with it!! :D They get on famously despite the (ever reducing! Yeahy!) communication gap and Jack has learned so much from Jessie just through their play.
So next time the kids are driving you bonkers ( and you know they do!!) tell them to go outside, or, if it's not all that nice out tell them to go under their beds, and to find where they left their imaginations. Come to think of it, why should the kids get all the fun!?!?! Why don't WE have a go too?!!? :D
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