The Power of Play

I am reading the book “The Power of Play” written by David Elkind. The book discusses the importance of allowing our children to just be kids. Elkind describes the differences of play in children from infancy through the teenage years and into adulthood. He argues that in today’s modern world, there are far too many organized activities, too great an emphasis on early education and too much TV and video games and not enough unstructured play. As a result, children are not given the outlets needed to foster their imaginations and develop at a natural pace. He cautions parents to beware of “Parent Peer-Pressure” with regards to sports, toys and education.

I really enjoyed reading his assessment on the transformation of toys through the years. Mostly, because my biggest dilemma at present is what to do with all the toys that have been given to the kids through the years. In past generations, toys served a purpose. They were meant to build imaginations through imitation of roles such as a mom, dad or vocation. With today’s toys, it is hard to find a toy that does not have an electronic chip in it.

My husband has urged me countless times to weed out the toys. After reading part of the book, we were motivated to go through all the toys, box up and get rid of anything our children has not played with and according to David Elkind’s book, does not foster a growing imagination. It was hard; believe me, because many of the toys were in great condition and the majority of them were given to the kids by relatives.

“The Power of Play” gave me the assurance that as a mom, I am on the right track. When my oldest was born, I asked the pediatrician months later about the activities I should be doing with my baby. All she said was, “let him explore”. I took my pediatricians advice to heart. I felt I really wanted my kids to enjoy being a child. We sing, we dance, paint, look for bugs, perform science experiments, cook, play hide-and-seek or monster-coming. We throw balls and ride our bikes. My young ones will not be little for long, why rush it.