The Science of Play

On June 8, 2011, moms came to TheMotherhood to chat with Susan Magsamen, Director of Interdisciplinary Programs at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Co-Developer of the Neuro-Education Initiative in the School of Education, about her work with play and education and her new book, The Classic Treasury of Childhood Wonders.

 

Hosting the Talk with Susan was Michael Sarbanes, Executive Director of Partnerships, Communications, and Community Engagement at Baltimore City Schools.

 

Susan and Michael chatted with the group about the benefits of play and family activities.

 

“There is a growing body of research about play from a range of fields – psychology, neuroscience, cognitive science, education, etc. This work is really helping to shape parenting skills, education and other places where our kids are,” Susan said. “In the fall we are launching a site for folks interested in the research of learning called L-rn.com.  I am hoping all of you will be a part of it.”

 

Read on for more highlights!

 

 

How can you help your kids succeed?

 

“Parents are always asking me what they can do to help their children be successful in school and in life,” Susan acknowledged. “The answer is simple – play. We know that play is how children learn essential social and emotional skills that they need to learn to read, understand math and science and engage creatively in the world.”

 

Jo-Lynne Shane, Musings of a Housewife, voiced a concern echoed by others: “Uh oh. I’m so not a player with my kids. I look forward to hearing your suggestions!”

 

“So many moms aren’t!” Emily McKhann, TheMotherhood, reassured. “We hear that all the time in TheMotherhood. Life is super busy and there is so much to get done on any given day.”

 

“There is no limit to play. Think about all of the very successful people that play every day. They imagine, explore, create, take risks – sounds like fun to me,” said Susan.  “But perhaps we have forgotten and also, with the best intentions, replaced play with tests, sitting in chairs and overscheduled activities. I think this is the right intention and the wrong answer.”

 

 

Overscheduling

 

When it comes to play and learning, allowing kids ample free time to let their imaginations run wild is key.   Scheduling one activity or lesson after another saps children’s energy – factor in schoolwork, and you have an overly packed schedule!

 

“As my kids get older, I see this more and more! School and homework alone keep us so busy!” said Melissa Angert, Girlymama.

 

“We try to find that balance too!” agreed Tammy Berbells, Tammy’s Two Cents. “It’s hard because you want them to participate in things that interest them. We are learning as we go.”

 

“Agreed. It is a major problem,” said Susan. “There is research that suggests that kids are significantly more productive after a vacation. Think about that for adults. You rest, play, reconnect to your support systems. Makes so much sense.”

 

 

Summer play

 

When school is out for the summer and there’s no homework to be done, kids have more time to use their imaginations and enjoy playtime.  The group had some wonderful suggestions for summer play.

 

“Summer learning is so important, and play is the perfect way to really engage kids in meaningful and fun experiences,” said Susan. “When children are playing they are doing so many important things – creative expression, problem solving, collaborating, gaining knowledge and also, very importantly, learning how to communicate with others.”

 

“Outdoor play is fantastic for kids anytime of the year,” added R Golinkoff. “Not only do they get to use their bodies but they get to explore and play with other kids. There are many local parks within walking distance that Moms can use to turn their kids loose. Just add sunscreen!”

 

“I love playing hide and seek with my two kiddos (4 and 6),” said Aracely Worley, Daytripping Mom. “It’s a classic game and the kids love it. We also play tag. Many of the same games that we played when we were kids.”

 

For a different take on hide and seek, Tammy Berbells at Tammy’s Two Cents said, “One activity we do as a family that is fun and educational is geocaching! The kids are learning about GPS coordinates and using their brains thinking about where the treasure might be. If is a great family fun activity!”

 

“The Dragon Hunt activity in Susan’s book (my daughter’s favorite) is like a no-cost lowtech geocaching. She loves it,” said Michael Sarbanes.

 

Susan elaborated, “In the book we have a dragon hunt where you make a map for your child and they have to find the dragon.”  She added a few suggestions of her own: “Daydreaming is really fun and so is looking for fireflies – if you have them. Think about things you can do in the car too.”

 

Gardening was a popular outdoor family activity.  “We have a big family garden in our backyard, the kids love to help with it. They look so forward to it every year,” said Cheryl Budge, The Budge Bunch. “They have learned so much from talking about it, and picking everything out. They don’t even realize it!”

 

“This year we planted a pizza garden,” added Emily McKhann, TheMotherhood. “Of course, it’s round and has lots of tomatoes, basil and other veggies. The kids thought it was hilarious that we were planting everything in a big circle.”

 

Aracely Worley, Daytripping Mom, also suggested visiting “our local children’s museum. They are great resources and provide plenty of opportunities for play.”  She also noted that “one of our favorite activities in the summer is heading to our local beach or lake. We build sand castles, collect seashells and play in the water.”

 

“Children’s museums are a great resource,” Susan agreed. “We worked with several over the last year to launch the Ultimate Block Party. This is a day event that brings the science of learning and play together. Our first was in New York and we had over 75,000 people. Last weekend we hosted one in Toronto. In the fall we will have on in Baltimore.”  Check out www.ultimateblockparty.com to learn more!

 

Added Michael, “Childhood Wonders and the Block Party fit into a broader strategy to really empower parents – it also includes building a strong parent-child connection, learning at home, connecting with school, tapping into community resources, and celebrating!”

 

 

About the book

 

“The Childhood Wonders book is chock full of ideas for parents to do in everyday moments that reinforce natural curiosity and a child’s love of learning,” said Susan. “We have incorporated the 6 Cs – a developmental essential skills model in every activity.”

 

Susan added that the book “was created with hundreds of families – sharing their childhood memories. We added the development lens to help make everyday moments learning moments too.”

 

“I love this concept!” said Anjanette Barr, Raising the Barrs. “I draw frequently from the activities I remember enjoying most as a child. I frequently ask my mom if she remembers the way we did this or that.”

 

“So, building on favorite pastimes and layering in what researchers know about childhood development? That’s incredibly cool,” agreed Emily McKhann, TheMotherhood.

 

“Baltimore City Schools is providing copies of Susan’s book Childhood Wonders to all our pre-K students next week,” said Michael Sarbanes. “We will be doing workshops with parents at our public libraries during the summer to help introduce/reinforce the notion that family time can be incredibly powerful learning time. We also are providing a DVD of the readings and activities in the book so that parents can see and use the book, regardless of reading level.”

 

“Baltimore City School’s Family Institute is creating such an engaging model for families,” said Susan. “The idea of beginning to get families information, ideas and best practices – through a series of programs and tools to help inform, inspire and engage kids – is very exciting.”

 

 

THANK YOU to Susan Magsamen, Michael Sarbanes and our wonderful co-hosts!

 

Anjanette, Raising the Barrs
Aracely, Daytripping Mom

Cheryl, The Budge Bunch
Melissa, Girlymama
Shannon, The Mommy Files
Tammy, Tammy’s Two Cents

 

 

See the original Talk here: http://tmotherhood.wpengine.com/talk/show/id/62218