Is creative play dead?

[travelbug]

I think it's a dying art sadly. When I started teaching Kindergarten (Year 1 in some states)- first year of formal schooling was play based. Now there's no time. Even Preschools have a focus on teaching sounds etc. Children do not know how to play!

It's difficult to get kids to play boardgames even. Many just sit glued to their IPads etc (even when surrounded by other children).

Watch these 2 very inspirational videos of a great kid with a load of creativity.

Show it to your kids and get creating!


http://cainesarcade.com/

 

[weg]

I don't think Preschools where children spend 10 hours, and Kindy where they spend 20-25 hours learning out of 168 hours pw, is where the problem lies.

I think it's at home where they potentially have the time to sit in front of a TV for hours on end.

Likewise, just as some parents don't encourage creative play at home, some don't give the child the opportunity to learn sounds early (parents with poor vocabulary and speech), to be read to, or to extend themselves beyond what a child can facilitate for themselves.

Educational learning and creative play are both just as important as each other.

I remember when both of my children were young their teachers tried to incorporate creativity in learning - it made it fun and captured their attention while dealing with both areas. It wasn't all rote learning. With my 15yo this wasn't that long ago.

 

[vaughan]

It's difficult to get kids to play boardgames even. Many just sit glued to their IPads etc (even when surrounded by other children).

My "kids" are now at Uni (in their late teens and early 20s) and they and their friends are SERIOUSLY into board games. They scour eBay for old editions of Monopoly -- the ones with the wooden houses and hotels -- and they play it for hours, though Monopoly is a bit passe because its outcome is too much based on luck of the dice and not so much skill and strategy. There are other strategy-based board games that I have not heard of that are hugely popular and their sessions last for hours, over multiple days. Game of Thrones is great and I've tried it. Scrabble is also really big.

Watch the TV series Big Bang Theory: the guys on the show regularly have board games and video nights as a group. This closely reflects reality, it's art imitating life.

Yes they have their PS3s and Xboxes and iPads, but they also value the social interaction of board games. Most times whenever my son is playing the PS3 he's interacting with several other people on-line from all around the world, sharing the experience.

 

[weg]

Yes they have their PS3s and Xboxes and iPads, but they also value the social interaction of board games. Most times whenever my son is playing the PS3 he's interacting with several other people on-line from all around the world, sharing the experience.

Agree. Most kids still love Scrabble, jigsaw puzzles, Monopoly and Chess (or similar) and the socialization which come with boardgames.

Young ones love going to parks, playgroups, playing with water/sand, building things, paint/paper/glue/scissors, etc.

I think the risk is to kids in impoverished environments or very young children of lazy parents who deny children both learning and creative play (toddlers and preschoolers who are plonked in front of the TV or left to amuse themselves with the same few useless toys day in day out).

 

[BayView]

The reason why kids aren't allowed to play anymore is because we need to stay competitive with all the parents whose Little Johnny/Mary is breaking state records at little aths, trying out for the philharmonic orchestra with violin, moving from grade 1 up to grade 6 maths because they are so advanced....

You know how it is, talking to other parents about their kids.

Everyone's kid is a genius by aged 3, these days, right?

Hence, my wife and I avoid talking kids with anyone at any time. Hard for her; she's a nurse, surrounded by other nurses who are mostly women with kids.

But really; all the parents need to do is create the balance; create the program of activities themselves...turn the tv off when they want the kids to play, spend some time playing with them, read a book or two, and so on.

Our 4 year old boy spends quite a bit of time on the IPad playing education apps. Great, I reckon...usually does that and watches "CBeebies" station at the same time. Alternates with the Disney Junior channel...then Tikkabilla, then Wiggles, then....

But, like all kids; his attention span is about 3.7 seconds, so I never see him stick at any one activity for too long anyway. Pretty normal I'd say.

This morning we have been out on the bike, been in the pool, been in a water fight with the gurney spray, eaten pancakes, watched 2 episodes of play school, and other mindless stuff.

Right now he's sitting watching no.1 son play Xbox while they share a packet of cheese balls.

Later we'll head down to the beach for a muck around of some sort.

Don't go gettin' all anal, folks.

And; don't wrap them in cotton wool either...does my head in watching parents with that stuff.

 

[westminster]

My kids (5 and 7) were on the trampoline with an unripe plum off our tree jumping around and if the plum touched you, you lost a point. That was this morning. Then they were throwing their shoes up into the trees (sigh!) then riding their bikes - Miss 5 ever so chuffed as she learnt to ride without training wheels last weekend.

My kids make up games all the time and like board games. I got Candyland out on the weekend as our 5yo is getting old enough to play it now.

Yes they play on ipads but certainly they haven't lost their creative play ability. Our 5yo kinder programme is still very play based with a focus on learning through play.

Mr14 well he's a bit of a geek and likes computer games but he still likes to ride bikes with the littlies and jump on the trampoline.

 

[MaggieMcT]

I have the opposite view and I think schools are a bit slow to introduce abc's and 123's. My oldest is only 4 and just finishing pre-k, moving to kindy. Her school is wonderful, and I do value what the teachers work with them on, which involves a lot of creative play. But I understand that next year (kindy year) it will be more of the same, with very little time spent formally learning reading, writing and maths. I don't believe in hothousing kids but I don't understand the aversion to teaching them according to their interest and ability either. I spend a bit of time each day doing "activity books" with my little one - basic maths and phonetics - because she loves it, and she needs the stimulation. It seems odd to me to wait until kids are aged 6 to do this stuff.

 

[MaggieMcT]

Sorry ...a bit more on point! Re creative play - my kids watch TV and use Ipads but also love to play imagination games, building forts on the couch, playing explorer or spies in the park or playground etc.

 

[BayView]

Sorry ...a bit more on point! Re creative play - my kids watch TV and use Ipads but also love to play imagination games, building forts on the couch, playing explorer or spies in the park or playground etc.

Yesterday my 4 year old and I watched an episode on Discovery Channel of "Shark Week".

His next idea was to go out and find something to attach to his bike helmet which would represent the winged skull of a Hammerhead shark.

We ended up with a piece of wood tied to the helmet, and old dressing gown tie tucked in his pants to represent the tail, and his gumboots on each hand to represent the side fins....then me being chased around the drive for about 30 mins by the shark trying to bite my @rse.

 

[travelbug]

Great to hear about your creative kids. Do you really think it's the norm? Perhaps I'm a bit jaded working in a high performing primary school with many parents that put a VERY HIGH emphasis on academia.
KUMON RULES!!!

Vaughan I never thought I'd see the day when someone proclaims Big Bang Theory to reflect reality. I do love that show though. Sheldon reminds me of a few students I've taught.

Maggie- Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway lead the way in high levels of academia. They start their formal education when children turn 7.
Getting young children to write usding adult implements (pencils) instead of doing age appropriate fine motor activities is the reason the need for ocupational therapists has doubled over the last 10 years. 10 years ago I had a few children with poor pencil grip. Now poor pencil grip is the norm.
But this is not about schooling. This has been debated on here before so I won't say any more.

BTW did anyone watch Caines arcade? That was my main point in posting. I think he's an amazing young man.

 

[weg]

You can talk to a multitude of different experts/teachers and they all have a different view/opinion on learning, or should i say, why children are not learning.

If they all agreed on the same things we probably wouldn't have half of the discussions we have on education.

What i'm just a little confused with is your experience of less creative learning now being replaced with more formal learning.

I went to preschool in the 60's, at age 4.5, and went straight into formal learning, no creativity or making learning fun like my children's experience of recent years - 10 years ago for child #2.

 

[travelbug]

Weg you are confusing creative teaching with play.

I did not say there was not creative teaching in schools. Actually I didn't mention that at all.

What I did say was there was no time to play. Parents are demanding that formal learning start earlier and earlier. Unfortunately a lot of parents think unless a child is filling in sheets they are not learning. Sad!!

Children learn so much through play and I'm not talking structured (you need to learn this play).

There is a miriad of research on this if you want to investigate further. I'm not getting into a debate about education. It's too much like work.

 

[marg4000]

We mind grandkids sometimes in the school holidays. Best way to keep them occupied for hours is to go down to the shallow creek at the end of our street, only 3 houses away. They wear old shoes and splash and build dams and cubbies to their heart's content in the shade of huge trees while I sit on a log nearby.

It is often just a case of giving kids opportunities for unrestricted and undirected play.
Marg

 

[Corey Batt]

Unfortunately a lot of parents think unless a child is filling in sheets they are not learning. Sad!!

"little Timmy, I want that report on colours and shapes on my desk by 5pm!"

 

[beachgurl]

We recently moved from a new master planned estate to a house on a very big block. Our yard was impractical for toddler play so the kids mostly were inside with us and/or watching tv. For a suburb having block sizes tween 200-300sqm I was surprised how quiet it was. Very rarely did you hear kids outside. Now we've moved, the kids have the opportunity to play unsupervised, outside. Until now I really hadn't seen much imaginative play from them.

We too are near kumon/McGrath loving families. Sadly many children have their little lives scheduled for them so no time for free play. Will be interesting to see how they survive in a workplace.

 

[weg]

We mind grandkids sometimes in the school holidays. Best way to keep them occupied for hours is to go down to the shallow creek at the end of our street, only 3 houses away. They wear old shoes and splash and build dams and cubbies to their heart's content in the shade of huge trees while I sit on a log nearby.

It is often just a case of giving kids opportunities for unrestricted and undirected play.
Marg

We have a great water park not far from us where they went with their nets in search of yabbies.

They loved it so much that whenever we had kids from elsewhere visiting a trip there was a must, even out of yabby season.

 

[weg]

Weg you are confusing creative teaching with play.

I did not say there was not creative teaching in schools. Actually I didn't mention that at all.

What I did say was there was no time to play. Parents are demanding that formal learning start earlier and earlier. Unfortunately a lot of parents think unless a child is filling in sheets they are not learning. Sad!!

Children learn so much through play and I'm not talking structured (you need to learn this play).

There is a miriad of research on this if you want to investigate further. I'm not getting into a debate about education. It's too much like work.

There was no play in the classroom in my day but there definitely was some with both of my children (I helped out in preschool and in the school class on many occasions when they were very young).

They also did adequate formal learning too - by my expectations. I think it was a good balance.

What I've found is just like the experts, parents will differ in what they think too.

I've lost track of the amount of times I heard parents of young children in the same class with the same teacher, complain both that the children are doing too little formal learning AND complaining they do too much .

But like I said previously, with so many hours outside of school and preschool, there is little stopping children from playing if parents think there is too little play happening in the classroom setting.

 

[redwing]

The problem with kids is they can be so childish

Our kids love craft, scrap-booking, turning cardboard to castle's and making us watch their version of X-Factor, The Voice or an impromptu drama show. Beware he/she that leaves a smartphone unattended, weeks later you may find funny pictures or videos within

Board and Card games are regular game play, as is bike riding and the trampoline. The kids use the iPad for homework, games and reviewing school dojo's.

The weekends seem to be kid-centric and based around karate, swimming, drama and activities such as finding new parks

The 6 yr old gave me a wad of paper the other day, each page had a word, a full stop, word, a full stop, word, a full stop, etc. As explained to me I had to read the first word, turn a page, read the first word, turn a page, until the end, then read the second word on page 1, then turn a page, read the second word, turn a page etc. This went on for 5-6 words and multiple pages until I'd read the story. Nice and creative I thought?

 

[vaughan]

Vaughan I never thought I'd see the day when someone proclaims Big Bang Theory to reflect reality. I do love that show though. Sheldon reminds me of a few students I've taught.

The first series is an absolute cracker, and some of the stuff is spot-on. Example: Engineers are the Umpa-Lumpas of Science.

Also, watch the whiteboard in the apartment, it has math and science formula jokes on it (not that I understand them).

 

[D.T.]

The reason why kids aren't allowed to play anymore is because we need to stay competitive with all the parents whose Little Johnny/Mary is breaking state records at little aths, trying out for the philharmonic orchestra with violin, moving from grade 1 up to grade 6 maths because they are so advanced....

You know how it is, talking to other parents about their kids.

Everyone's kid is a genius by aged 3, these days, right?

Hence, my wife and I avoid talking kids with anyone at any time. Hard for her; she's a nurse, surrounded by other nurses who are mostly women with kids.

But really; all the parents need to do is create the balance; create the program of activities themselves...turn the tv off when they want the kids to play, spend some time playing with them, read a book or two, and so on.

Our 4 year old boy spends quite a bit of time on the IPad playing education apps. Great, I reckon...usually does that and watches "CBeebies" station at the same time. Alternates with the Disney Junior channel...then Tikkabilla, then Wiggles, then....

But, like all kids; his attention span is about 3.7 seconds, so I never see him stick at any one activity for too long anyway. Pretty normal I'd say.

This morning we have been out on the bike, been in the pool, been in a water fight with the gurney spray, eaten pancakes, watched 2 episodes of play school, and other mindless stuff.

Right now he's sitting watching no.1 son play Xbox while they share a packet of cheese balls.

Later we'll head down to the beach for a muck around of some sort.

Don't go gettin' all anal, folks.

And; don't wrap them in cotton wool either...does my head in watching parents with that stuff.

This is probably the first time I've agreed with one of your posts wholeheartedly.

Even though i never want kids.