Kids play and create! Play is such a vital part of childhood. Children create their understanding about the world around them through play. They takes risks in a safe environment which helps them develop skills, both physical and mental. Because we love play so much, I’m starting a new series advocating for play to be a foundational part of every child’s day.

Our first quote comes from Thomas S. Henricks, a sociologist who focuses his attention on play. He is the author of Play Reconsidered which is now on my wish list. “To play is to create.”

As kids play and create, something magical happens. They explore ideas. They discover patterns. They test their guesses about how the world works and revise their understanding. Through play, kids create beauty in the world around them and willingly share that beauty with any one willing to stop and enjoy their magical moment with them. Our 6 year old is forever creating love notes, pictures, and games for us to enjoy. Almost every night there is a note on my pillow from her. They are all the same “Dear Mom, I love you. Love Ellie” But the fact she took the time to make that almost every day for me is so precious. She changes the type of paper, the color of crayon or marker. She often cuts out the paper to the shape she wants. Each card is uniquely made with sincerity in her message. I would feel extra special because of these notes, but I’m not the only one who receives them! She had just learned to spell her brother’s name when I found a note for him.

Ellie loves to play “mail” and deliver notes. We try to match her enthusiasm and write notes for her to deliver, but she usually does most of the writing. Which is perfect for her current level where she is just mastering sounding out words, writing, and communicating with her written words. In her play, she is developing the skills that will serve her so well as she continues in her education.