Children's Day, October 22, 2013 - Play !

"In every real man a child is hidden that wants to play."

Friedrich Nietzsche

For children play is the way they learn about the world, themselves and others. Play is their laboratory in which they can experiment with being anywhere, anyone, anytime.

At least that is how it should be ...

“Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.” 

Kay Redfield Jamison

To some children I know play is hard work as they have to learn how to play, it doesn't come naturally. And as they discover bit by bit the wonder of play, they find themselves and meet the others. I also know children for whom play is a distant dream. It's something that they crave but seldom get a chance to experience. I know children who have been fortunate to be able to play with almost no restraints, who's play is nurtured and protected. I know children who live in fear, forced out their homes, forced to work, being abused and have no place to play outside their minds.

"A child's play" is often use as a way of describing something that is easy, simple, trivial.

To me nothing could be further off reality. Child's play is complex in both it's construction and effects on the development, child's play is most important for the development of imagination and social, emotional, language and thinking skills.

“Play is the work of the child.”

Maria Montessori

Teachers, scientists, philosophers, psychologists, psychiatrists, authors from the earliest times have argued the importance of play for both children and adults.

When we grow up we chose to forget about play. We dismiss it and get caught in our serious business. We have no time to play and we rush our children along.

"We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing."

George Bernard Shaw

 Around the world there are people dedicated to bringing love, joy, laughter, escapism to children and adults who find themselves in difficult situations and would not have otherwise access to such wonder, through play.

The Flying Seagull Project is an example of dedicated individuals who donate their time and talents to create opportunities for children and adults alike to play with all the resulting benefits.

Their actions are based on these beliefs:

We believe everyone has the right to laugh and enjoy their life, 

no matter their financial, physical, pychological or societal situation.
We believe every child should have the right to play freely without risk or threat.
We believe play, creativity and laughter is essential to a child’s development 

and therefore to the community as a whole.
We believe that energy and positivity are contagious 

and intend to spread them as far and wide as possible.
We believe that everyone, everywhere is entitled to communicate and to be heard in whatever way is possible, and we hope to give people voices wherever we go.
We believe that the purpose of learning something is so that you can offer to share it with someone else, somewhere else, sometime else.
We believe that a stranger is a member of the family you just haven’t met yet.
We believe the first point of contact with anyone should be a smile.
We believe in FUN as a philosophy.
We believe in you!

You can visit their website and find out about their work and ways to help.

If you know about other such projects you can leave a comment and we will add them to this post.