Friday, September 06, 2002
Guidelines for Intergenerational Play
This from a "publication sponsored by Crayola":
Adults can learn to become play partners by trying to regain the playful attitude of a child. Let go of the adult notion that play is only for children. It is the fortunate adult who has never completely abandoned childish things.
Don’t worry if you don’t know how to use some toys. Let your imagination be your guide. Using toys in novel ways will help a child’s creativity.
Let older children teach you how to use the latest toy or computer game. They will take great pleasure in teaching you what they know.
Play at the child’s level. You can add to the complexity of the play, but let the child determine the direction of play.
Have fun! Don’t use playtime to stretch your child’s skills. They will develop anyway. Just have fun together.
Encourage and congratulate children when a difficult task is completed. This will build self-confidence.
Do not solve every task for the child, but encourage her to solve the problem for herself. Doing something for a child is not playing.
Do not choose toys or games that are too complex for the child’s capabilities. Something too difficult can be frustrating. And something too easy is no fun.
Safety is the first requirement of all play. Ensure that toys and games are suitable to the child’s age and abilities. Read the safety information on the package.
I agree with everything except the "...congratulate children..." line. This is the result of a lesson I learned from my granddaughter Maya (5). Whenever I congratulated her, she got angry with me, almost in tears. I learned to squelch my joy at her victories. Hard to do for a grandparent. But clearly I was taking something away from her with my excitement, not leaving her room for her own.
Other than that particular quibble, I think this list offers all of us good, reliable guidance about playing with anything and anyone.
Adults can learn to become play partners by trying to regain the playful attitude of a child. Let go of the adult notion that play is only for children. It is the fortunate adult who has never completely abandoned childish things.
Don’t worry if you don’t know how to use some toys. Let your imagination be your guide. Using toys in novel ways will help a child’s creativity.
Let older children teach you how to use the latest toy or computer game. They will take great pleasure in teaching you what they know.
Play at the child’s level. You can add to the complexity of the play, but let the child determine the direction of play.
Have fun! Don’t use playtime to stretch your child’s skills. They will develop anyway. Just have fun together.
Encourage and congratulate children when a difficult task is completed. This will build self-confidence.
Do not solve every task for the child, but encourage her to solve the problem for herself. Doing something for a child is not playing.
Do not choose toys or games that are too complex for the child’s capabilities. Something too difficult can be frustrating. And something too easy is no fun.
Safety is the first requirement of all play. Ensure that toys and games are suitable to the child’s age and abilities. Read the safety information on the package.
I agree with everything except the "...congratulate children..." line. This is the result of a lesson I learned from my granddaughter Maya (5). Whenever I congratulated her, she got angry with me, almost in tears. I learned to squelch my joy at her victories. Hard to do for a grandparent. But clearly I was taking something away from her with my excitement, not leaving her room for her own.
Other than that particular quibble, I think this list offers all of us good, reliable guidance about playing with anything and anyone.
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