The Power of Play
Camp is filled with amazing activities and games … but it is only as much fun as the staff make it. Every day I hear the campers ask their counselor – “Are you going to ride the Banana Boat with us? Are you going to climb the rock wall with us? Are you going on the trail ride with us?” It’s one thing to ride the zip line, but it’s a whole different experience when I can share it with the person I look up to. In fact, the favorite time for many campers is recreation. After supper the whole camp comes together and plays a game – capture the flag, blob tag, medic, fastest tag in the west, etc. It might look like chaos to some, but for the campers that play time makes them feel special – like they belong. After 45 minutes of running and playing we gather everyone in a circle, and we shout at the top of our lungs – It’s good to be together. That is the power of play.
Unfortunately, as adults we often forget how to play. Somewhere amid the responsibilities and stress of adulthood we tell ourselves that we are too busy to play – that there are more important things to do. So we send our kid to the back yard to play by themselves or, worse yet, set them up in front of the TV or video game console and let them entertain themselves.
But what if we took the time to play catch with our kids, or hide and seek, or build a cardboard rocket ship in the backyard and pretend to be astronauts and fly to the moon. When my kids were in elementary school, every night after supper we went outside and played a game – often it was dodgeball in the driveway. After several nights of this, the neighbor kids started showing up. They wanted in on the game too. Night after night, rain or shine we played. It became the highlight of our day and something our kids still talk about.
I challenge you to make time everyday for play with your children. Here are some ways to make that happen.
1. Set aside time everyday for fun and play with your kids. Make it a part of your daily routine.
2. Figure out what sports your kids like and invest in the equipment you need. Rather than sign up your kids for a sports league where you just stand on the sidelines and watch join a group where families play together. If you can’t find one – create it yourself.
3. Have yard game tournaments – like corn hole or croquet. Challenge your neighbors to some friendly competition.
4. Set aside one evening a week as family game night. Depending on the weather you can play outdoor games or board games or video games inside.
5. Don’t forget to join your kids in imaginative play. Tea parties, dress up, cardboard pirate ships, and other unstructured play is key to your child’s development.
6. Surprise your kids with play. Go outside and run in the rain, jump in a mud puddle, have a spontaneous snowball, or water balloon fight, or build a treehouse.
7. Instead of having your kids spend hours playing video games buy some airsoft guns or a laser-tag system and play your favorite games live in the backyard.
Have fun and remember to play!
