play

you can probably deduce from the name of my blog that "play" is my main passion. play, as a subject matter, was brought to my attention again recently when a friend of mine shared an article she wrote about it. you can read it here (it's SO worth the read): http://www.changestartsathome.com/social/live-to-play-play-to-live/
i think the child in me has always sought out being with children, so that i can continue to learn and experience play as a participant and observer. i'm so thankful for the little girl that i spend 8 hours a day with. i would call it my work, but it's really my play that i happen to get paid for. seeing the world through her eyes, and realizing that it's beckoning us to play with every dimension, is priceless. i should be paying her parents for the teaching and the joy that i receive every day.
just today we had a playdoh incident. i learned a valuable lesson. playing with the playdoh was an outlet for her to find fulfillment, concentration, joy and creativity. it also made space for her to be frustrated and angry when the shapes didn't conform to her liking. the light and the shadow sides all came forward. so, apparently play is not only fun, but useful and self-revealing. as adults, we can use it as a flashlight to notice things. and children, well children will play for the sake of play and nothing can stop them. it's their authentic nature.
observe a child playing and see what you notice or learn from it (but remember that adults must be accompanied by a child on the playground - i don't want to feel responsible when you get arrested). :o)
pick a play and do it! here are some ideas: play Twister, skip against the flow of pedestrian traffic, build a blanket fort, think of a part of you that you don't like and rock it to sleep, do a cartwheel in an inappropriate place, make genitalia out of clay (this will really make you laugh), have a lemonade stand in front of your house, paint your feet and make footprint art, write a limerick about something or nothing, walk backwards uphill, write notes to yourself and attach them to your shirt with clothespins, make up a dance routine to your favorite tune from Grease (i did this when i was 5). that should get you started...