"If you've never jumped from one couch to the other to avoid the lava you've never had a childhood."
-unknown
According to the dictionary, fun can be defined as "enjoyment, amusement, or lighthearted pleasure". Prior to the 21st century, this would include building forts, jumping on the bed, tree houses, spud, Lego's, doll houses, easy bake ovens, and morning cartoons. Today, play consists of sitting, looking at screens, you tube, video games, and Netflix. Social exchanges transpire through social media, online gaming, and chat rooms. When parents decide to limit screen time, the void is filled with structured activities and organized sports. This generation's definition of fun is taking us down a path of obesity, poor social skills, inattention, hyperactivity, depression, anxiety, and slew of other challenges only minimally experienced in previous generations.
On my block, kid directed games were very popular. We gathered in someone's backyard, where we played running bases, spud, kickball, tag, and many variations with made up rules and goals. Inevitably, someone cheated (usually me), got hurt, cried, threatened to tell, and teased. While a mom or dad would be lingering somewhere nearby, you would never think to involve them in your life of play. It was a world where kids were in charge, and they dished out the rewards and consequences.
Life skills learned: cooperation, sportsmanship, compromise, problem-solving, sharing, and resilience. So, would this fun be considered time well spent, or wasted?
While I always hoped that my neighbors and friends would be able to come and play, there were plenty of days when I had to entertain myself. Just for clarification, I had to create fun independently, without adult facilitation or screens that talked to me. Our basement was filled with dolls, stickers, art supplies, blocks, games, and a million other things I have long since forgotten. Because none of these items were battery operated, they could be used together, separately, or however I wanted. Hours of my life were spent creating lavish lives for my dolls and stuffed animals, who would assist me in playing a board game or organizing my sticker collection (my mom tossed out my sticker collection in 3rd grade after I failed to put it away despite multiple warnings). Life skills learned: language development, independence, resourcefulness, perspective taking, and creativity.
Today, kids play organized sports, attend classes, and go on play dates. Something or someone is always available for entertainment. Toys always perform a function, whether it's lighting up, talking, dancing, or creating a virtual reality. Take these alluring toys away, and you hear "I'm bored". On a beautiful summer day, I have begged kids to run, swing, climb, and play. When the snow is falling, I have begged kids to have snowball fights and build snow angels. Boredom is not a state of being, it reflects a deficit in this generation's ability to imagine, create, and invent. As a result, kids become complacent and lazy, satisfied with whatever technology can produce to increase their dopamine levels. In their defense, and to our detriment, these kids know nothing else. Life skills learned: instant gratification, impulsivity, learned helplessness, social isolation, inattention, low motivation (non-preferred activities), and irritability. So, would this fun be considered time well spent, or wasted?
On my block, kid directed games were very popular. We gathered in someone's backyard, where we played running bases, spud, kickball, tag, and many variations with made up rules and goals. Inevitably, someone cheated (usually me), got hurt, cried, threatened to tell, and teased. While a mom or dad would be lingering somewhere nearby, you would never think to involve them in your life of play. It was a world where kids were in charge, and they dished out the rewards and consequences.
Life skills learned: cooperation, sportsmanship, compromise, problem-solving, sharing, and resilience. So, would this fun be considered time well spent, or wasted?
While I always hoped that my neighbors and friends would be able to come and play, there were plenty of days when I had to entertain myself. Just for clarification, I had to create fun independently, without adult facilitation or screens that talked to me. Our basement was filled with dolls, stickers, art supplies, blocks, games, and a million other things I have long since forgotten. Because none of these items were battery operated, they could be used together, separately, or however I wanted. Hours of my life were spent creating lavish lives for my dolls and stuffed animals, who would assist me in playing a board game or organizing my sticker collection (my mom tossed out my sticker collection in 3rd grade after I failed to put it away despite multiple warnings). Life skills learned: language development, independence, resourcefulness, perspective taking, and creativity.
Today, kids play organized sports, attend classes, and go on play dates. Something or someone is always available for entertainment. Toys always perform a function, whether it's lighting up, talking, dancing, or creating a virtual reality. Take these alluring toys away, and you hear "I'm bored". On a beautiful summer day, I have begged kids to run, swing, climb, and play. When the snow is falling, I have begged kids to have snowball fights and build snow angels. Boredom is not a state of being, it reflects a deficit in this generation's ability to imagine, create, and invent. As a result, kids become complacent and lazy, satisfied with whatever technology can produce to increase their dopamine levels. In their defense, and to our detriment, these kids know nothing else. Life skills learned: instant gratification, impulsivity, learned helplessness, social isolation, inattention, low motivation (non-preferred activities), and irritability. So, would this fun be considered time well spent, or wasted?
"Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood."
-Fred Rogers
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