Article Contributed on: 9/21/2009 7:16:26 PM
Children show improved classroom behavior and concentration in kids who have 15 minutes of recess each day. Play is important to the academic experience because the better kids do physically, they do better academically. And when they figure out that "I get it!" moment happens. I do some of my best thinking on a run or during my workout.
Play is fun! Chances are if you met a kid from England, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, France, Italy, Scotland, or Wales, you'd be able to find a way to play together, even if you couldn't talk to each other. And that is pretty cool!
Whether kids are rich or poor, healthy or ill, they find a way to play. Each time a game of rugby starts, the players have to decide who is "it". Where the boundaries, lines of touch are, and whether or not you have to be "tagged", or just be "tackled" to be "it."
In the process of making the rules, the players learn "mutual respect." Mutual respect occurs between equals as opposed to unilateral respect, which is one-sided, and comes from authority. When you make the rules, and your friends follow them, that is mutual respect. When your friends make the rules, you follow them. They mutual respect is what binds friends. Even in business, shaking hands is an example of mutual respect.
It is learned most simply and naturally when kids play self initiated games with rules. The saying, "you are never too old to play" is absolutely true. Your actions bring a response from your opponent in checkers or chess. A few words, a facial expression, a laugh, or other body language. You learn strategies and understand people. You also learn a great deal about yourself from the way other players respond to you and VICE VERSA.
Unfortunately, sometimes people respond to us on the basis of prejudices and stereotypes.
The talented artist, composer, writer, or scientist plays with the socially accepted reality and transforms play in highly original and unique ways. For the gifted individual, play remains a dominant mode of learning throughout life.
What is unique about the creative person is the ability to represent his reality in a way that is accessible to others. There creative person transforms play into - a novel, a poem, a painting, or a rugby try.
Although the truly innovative is able to combine play and work, and as an adult make it their livelihood, creativity is not limited only to the extremely gifted and talented. There are levels of creativity in ALL of us.
So, in short: PLAY HARD - WORK HARD. Play is pretty important. Play is the basis of the very best work.