Making Time for Play

Are thinking and solving puzzles a form of play? Fifth grade teacher John Murphy is convinced they can be, and he loves to offer “brain start-ups” to his students, the equivalent of engaging them in a game of Frisbee or freeze-tag, only mentally.

The “start-ups” aren’t part of their math lesson, they’re just fun, but they can infuse fractions and decimals with delight. Recently he asked, “Which is greater, the number of people on earth now or seconds since the Declaration of Independence was signed?”

Whatever the mental puzzle, the whole class collaborates playfully on how to solve it. As it turns out, the two factors are almost equal, with approximately 8.3 billion people on earth and 7.8 billion seconds since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Happy birthday, America!

John’s delight in puzzles dates back to his early childhood, a time when he was encouraged to engage in lots and lots of unstructured play of his choice. His mother reports that when she picked him up from kindergarten one day, his teachers said he had done every tangram puzzle (a dissection puzzle consisting of seven geometric pieces to make shapes) they had in the classroom. John remembers hours engaging in the activities he loved—constructing with Lincoln Logs, Legos, anything with geometrical shapes. In fourth grade, he discovered origami and still delights in doing that with his students.

Ample time for play provides a kind of joyful electricity for a child’s growth, and John embodies that excitement as he shows his students that challenging your brain in surprising ways can be fun.

Not everyone finds mental puzzles or making origami animals relaxing. We all have different definitions of fun, and often those areas of fulfillment and delight start in our childhood. What were your favorite kinds of play as a child?

Recognizing how important play felt growing up can help us prioritize it in children’s lives. Psychologists are concerned that today when so many areas of a child’s life are structured with competitive sports and lessons, there may not be enough time during their day for play. Pediatricians are concerned that children don’t have enough unstructured fun, and the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that pediatricians write prescriptions for children to have enough free play time. 

Since everyone is different, the ways children play can give us clues about who they are. What fascinates them? What electrifies their beings? Recognizing that we all have different areas of life that feel like play can increase our tolerance of one another at every age. It can also help us engage with each other in light-hearted, inclusive ways. You like to jump rope? Maybe I can try that too.

To honor the Week of the Young Child and its emphasis on the importance of play, you are invited to an informal coffee on the front steps next Wednesday, April 15, at 8:15. We will provide an activity sheet for families to talk about the kinds of play they most enjoy.