A child at play

“The activities that are the easiest, cheapest, and most fun to do – such as singing, playing games, reading, storytelling, and just talking and listening – are also the best for child development.”

~ Jerome Singer (professor, Yale University)

At heart, I am a child - I love to play, I love the great outdoors, and I would not think it a task to sit and count the stars in the sky at night or the grains of sand on a beach.   I have always been an advocate of the simple pleasures in life - walking on the beach, hiking in the mountains, camping under a tent, wading in a river, or as my daughter has accomplished with so much expertise, running a kite.   

No, not flying a kite - in the true sense of the word, but running with it from one end of a large field to the next.  Or better yet, around the house, with the kite never actually being more than 5 feet (if so much) in the air.   What amazes me is the joy that shines on her face, even though she knows that when she stops running, the kite will flutter to the ground.

My love for children has grown from watching their simple, uncomplicated view of life.  At Christmas time, for a young child, the wrapping paper and the box that the presents were hidden in, will hold more appeal than the expensive educational games that were purchased.    Long hours can be spent, creating memories with a large packing box which doubles as a fort, a car and any other imaginary item that will bring hours of play.

The imagination, innocence, creativity and curiosity of preschool children have fueled by desire to know more about what makes them "tick" and how that imagination can be channeled into greater things.