My Connections to Play

"Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.” Kay Redfield Jamison

  “Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning…They have to play with what they know to be true in order to find out more, and then they can use what they learn in new forms of play.” ~ Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood)

As a child, I enjoyed dressing up in my older sisters' clothes and shoes!




Loved to run around in an open area playing softball and kickball

Loved to pretend to be a famous singer using things around the house for a microphone and other musical instruments

Support for Play as Child:

As a child, my parents would encourage us to play.  They would encourage us to go outside and play different games with other children in the neighborhood such as Hide-and-Seek, racing, kick ball, softball, and basketball. When we were tired of our usual games, we would be creative to create new games.  The people I played with were like my extended family because we played frequently with one another.

The Difference of Play Today

Today, children have a lot of distractions that will limit their particpation in play.  Television, gaming systems, and other technologies.  These gadgets have limited children's play and interaction with one another.  When I was child, all my friends and I had were each other.  This led us to be creative and active, because we did not have the things children have today.  Today, children have the choice of fancy toys and video games.  Technology has changed so much that children can sit in the house all day without any social/physical interaction.

Play has taught me to "think outside the box" when faced with certain challenges in my life. 

SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME

SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME

In my reading on the subject of SIDS, I found that SIDS deaths are not related to any kind of diseases or there is no kind of warning signs to prevent this from happening to infants in the United States or in other countries. I was so amazed how the researchers said to lay a baby on their backs instead of their stomachs. When I was having children laying a baby on their stomachs were the appropriate way. I have learned that in order to prevent SIDS, you should not smoke during pregnancy or around the baby, limited caffeine intake, don’t put blankets on babies. Do not sleep with baby in the same bed as others. Put babies to bed with a pacifier. You should breast feed babies instead of bottle feeding them. Researchers say boys are more likely to die from SIDS than girls. I found out that babies in Japan and the Netherlands have the lowest SIDS cases. Statistics show that Sudden infant death syndrome have a decrease in the death of infants in the United States and other countries, like Japan have a 30% decline and the Netherlands and Norway have an 82% decline in death rates We can teach new parents-to-be about the facts and statistics about the danger in smoking and drinking alcohol while pregnant to help them know more about SIDS, and to help them to protect their babies.