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Play: Needed now more than ever
. Play: Needed Now More Than Ever
S
ummer is finally here- a time to relax, to think back over what the year has brought thus far, and to plan for productive months ahead. This has not been an easy winter to forget! Some of you struggled with snow and ice storms and record-setting cold weather. Some of us faced a major earthquake, one that had a profound impact on many families’ lives. Life-threatening experiences, like an earthquake or major storm, can give us insight into things we often take for granted-and find we shouldn’t! The earthquake made me reassess many things, from what will I grab first when the next one hits to how can I better secure precious items in my house. This type of reassessment is almost a given after such experiences; everyone around me was asking these same questions. However, sometimes we find ourselves considering very unusual or unrelated aspects of life. One area I wouldn’t have thought related to an earthquake was that of children’s play and how important it is in their lives. The earthquake of the winter of 1994 made me spend more time evaluating how we as a society value play and what we are doing to promote it. This lesson began as I watched a television news story about families whose living quarters had been destroyed in the earthquake. One family with children aged 5, 7, and 9 years was asked about their lives after 3 weeks of living in a Red Cross shelter, a high school gymnasium lined with cots. Although the parents expressed concerns about privacy and noise, the children said they liked it because now they could play! My first thought on hearing this was that the children were referring to the fact that they were out of school until buildings could be fortified or remodeled. I was wrong. These children went on to say that when they lived in the apartment building their mother was afraid to let them ride their bikes in the neighborhood because of drugs and crime. The parents explained that there are no parks close to this family’s apartment and that the school play areas are secured immediately after school hours to prevent vandalism. These children found riding their bikes around and around a crowded gymnasium an improvement from their normal environment, which prohibited play. Rather than bringing pleasure, the picture of this 5-yearold riding around and around a small number of cots, feeling free and happy, disturbed me. The “aftershock” J PEDMR HEALTH CARE. (1994).
8, 145.
Copyright 0 1994 by the National & Practitioners. 0891-5245/94/$3.00
+ 0
Association
25l0/55978
of Pediatric
Nurse Associates
l
I received from watching that little boy wasn’t measured on a Richter scale, but it did make me think and begin to explore how we support play in children’s lives. Everyone agrees that play is vital to children’s lives. It promotes the development of both large and small muscle groups, enhances coordination, and stimulates creativity and cognitive development. Play can help decrease stress and teach mastery of fearful situations. But more than that, play is fun-it is laughter and joy, something all our children need. Unfortunately many children are not being provided adequate opportunities to play. The threat of violence and crime keeps many children from being allowed to “go out and play.” However, these are not the only reasons that many children today are not being given the chance to play. Play areas have decreased in urban areas. Many parks have disappeared altogether or have fallen into a state of disrepair. Upkeep of equipment and acquisition of new park or recreation areas are costly, and many communities cannot afford this. In addition school playground areas are often unavailable after school hours or weekends. Fears of lawsuits and vandalism have forced schools to restrict the use of their facilities. Unfortunately the result is one less place for children to playespecially children who do not have other options. As advocates for children we must work hard to make sure that play receives the attention it deserves. We must work with individual families to help them find places where their children can safely play. By asking about play activities and explaining to parents the importance of play, we can show that we value this critical activity of childhood. We can look at the communities in which we live and see how play areas are prioritized. We can work with parent and community groups to promote better, safer play areas for children of all ages. Further, we can work with the schools to develop programs so the play resources they have can be better used. I hope that little 5-year-old in the shelter is now safely in a new home. I also hope he and his brothers did not have to trade their play activities for this place of their own. That child taught me a lesson I had not expected to learn from an earthquake. I hope we all enjoy this summer and put past disasters behind us; I also hope we take some time to think about the importance of play and do what we can to foster this important childhood activity. Five-year-old children should not have to feel that living in a shelter is the best life has to offer! n Bobbie Cww Nelms, PhD, RN, CPNP Editor 145
S
ummer is finally here- a time to relax, to think back over what the year has brought thus far, and to plan for productive months ahead. This has not been an easy winter to forget! Some of you struggled with snow and ice storms and record-setting cold weather. Some of us faced a major earthquake, one that had a profound impact on many families’ lives. Life-threatening experiences, like an earthquake or major storm, can give us insight into things we often take for granted-and find we shouldn’t! The earthquake made me reassess many things, from what will I grab first when the next one hits to how can I better secure precious items in my house. This type of reassessment is almost a given after such experiences; everyone around me was asking these same questions. However, sometimes we find ourselves considering very unusual or unrelated aspects of life. One area I wouldn’t have thought related to an earthquake was that of children’s play and how important it is in their lives. The earthquake of the winter of 1994 made me spend more time evaluating how we as a society value play and what we are doing to promote it. This lesson began as I watched a television news story about families whose living quarters had been destroyed in the earthquake. One family with children aged 5, 7, and 9 years was asked about their lives after 3 weeks of living in a Red Cross shelter, a high school gymnasium lined with cots. Although the parents expressed concerns about privacy and noise, the children said they liked it because now they could play! My first thought on hearing this was that the children were referring to the fact that they were out of school until buildings could be fortified or remodeled. I was wrong. These children went on to say that when they lived in the apartment building their mother was afraid to let them ride their bikes in the neighborhood because of drugs and crime. The parents explained that there are no parks close to this family’s apartment and that the school play areas are secured immediately after school hours to prevent vandalism. These children found riding their bikes around and around a crowded gymnasium an improvement from their normal environment, which prohibited play. Rather than bringing pleasure, the picture of this 5-yearold riding around and around a small number of cots, feeling free and happy, disturbed me. The “aftershock” J PEDMR HEALTH CARE. (1994).
8, 145.
Copyright 0 1994 by the National & Practitioners. 0891-5245/94/$3.00
+ 0
Association
25l0/55978
of Pediatric
Nurse Associates
l
I received from watching that little boy wasn’t measured on a Richter scale, but it did make me think and begin to explore how we support play in children’s lives. Everyone agrees that play is vital to children’s lives. It promotes the development of both large and small muscle groups, enhances coordination, and stimulates creativity and cognitive development. Play can help decrease stress and teach mastery of fearful situations. But more than that, play is fun-it is laughter and joy, something all our children need. Unfortunately many children are not being provided adequate opportunities to play. The threat of violence and crime keeps many children from being allowed to “go out and play.” However, these are not the only reasons that many children today are not being given the chance to play. Play areas have decreased in urban areas. Many parks have disappeared altogether or have fallen into a state of disrepair. Upkeep of equipment and acquisition of new park or recreation areas are costly, and many communities cannot afford this. In addition school playground areas are often unavailable after school hours or weekends. Fears of lawsuits and vandalism have forced schools to restrict the use of their facilities. Unfortunately the result is one less place for children to playespecially children who do not have other options. As advocates for children we must work hard to make sure that play receives the attention it deserves. We must work with individual families to help them find places where their children can safely play. By asking about play activities and explaining to parents the importance of play, we can show that we value this critical activity of childhood. We can look at the communities in which we live and see how play areas are prioritized. We can work with parent and community groups to promote better, safer play areas for children of all ages. Further, we can work with the schools to develop programs so the play resources they have can be better used. I hope that little 5-year-old in the shelter is now safely in a new home. I also hope he and his brothers did not have to trade their play activities for this place of their own. That child taught me a lesson I had not expected to learn from an earthquake. I hope we all enjoy this summer and put past disasters behind us; I also hope we take some time to think about the importance of play and do what we can to foster this important childhood activity. Five-year-old children should not have to feel that living in a shelter is the best life has to offer! n Bobbie Cww Nelms, PhD, RN, CPNP Editor 145