― Plato
“Have regular hours for work and play; make each day both useful and
pleasant, and prove that you understand the worth of time by employing
it well. Then youth will bring few regrets, and life will become a
beautiful success.” - Louisa May Alcott, Little Women
I lived in a small village with my families till I was 10 years old, and all the close relatives staying in the same village or the close villages. At that time in the small village, the adults did not have serious request or high expectations to the children, and the school teachers distribute few homework to the students as well. So, as a student and a child, I felt very free and few pressure from the adults about the academic issue.
The traditional play I loved so much when I was young was: playing shuttlecock,skipping rope and hopscotch during the break in the school. When I was young, there was no place to buy real shuttlecock, I made it by myself. I found one or two copper cashes and cut suitable length of the nylon rope to make a shuttlecock for myself.
During the weekend and holidays, I will go to the riverside, climb trees to fetch apples or other fruit, swim in the shallow spring(it's like take a bath there), sit in the rice field watching the floating clouds shaping differently, go to fetch wild grass for the pigs etc..
Now I am living in Beijing for more than 13 years now, my son was born here. As I observed the children play, they have to choose play center or the small space in the living compound or play in the classrooms or in the parks. It's such a pity that I feel like they are away from nature. Being away from nature is very bad for the children since their sensory can not be developed fully or they lose the connection with real life. I do hope the adults and authorities will provide more natural places for the children to play.
Play is so important in my life. It develops my imagination, my physical health, my knowledge to myself, to the world and others when I was young, and till now as an adult, I still love play. It makes me feel ease and colorful of my life, and it is like the lubricant to make myself more complete as a human being.
Xia,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your post about the role of play in your childhood. I love hearing stories from people's childhood. I bet that having to make your own shuttlecocks really taught you more than just the enjoyment of playing the game. It probably taught you determination and patience. I also feel sorry for children today. They have the world at their fingertips and yet do not know how to just be outside and play or explore. Adults really need to find ways to have children get back to nature. Thank you for posting!
Krista
Hi Xia
ReplyDeleteI see shuttlecock is much like badminton in the states! I love playing badminton during Family Reunions; I am not very good at it but the exercise is great! You seem to have had a wonderful time playing during your childhood, I am sure you will pass great play time stories on to your son.
Shelita
I enjoyed reading your play time as a young child. I know i would have enjoyed outdoor time as you did as a child.
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