PLAY TIME...
It's school holidays. A lot of folks will be enjoying this time spent with their little (and not so little) ones. Whether the whole two weeks or a few days snatched here and there. For some of us we work through and for those in library land, the holidays are full on busy.
For the holidays we always have special programs. And these are no different, and for the first time I ran a Tinies Dance and Play session.
We had bubble wrap (LOVED walking and rolling on this), hula hoops, balloons, beach balls, toys and bubbles.
We had music and songs and much much laughter.
It was amazing to see how much the toddlers (and mums...one dad and three grandparents...)enjoyed themselves.
For a lot of people we think of libraries of being full of books. And they are. We associate any program run by libraries to be focused on books.
I won't lie, the majority are. But children also learn by play. Especially babies and toddlers.
Watching as babies and toddlers tried to catch balloons and bubbles. As they crawled through hula hoops and plastic tunnels. As they figured out that one on the seesaw just doesn't work well...or that balloons are slippery suckers and fly out of clutching hands.
It was a lot of fun, but more importantly we all learnt something. Babies learnt that bubbles disappear, that balloons can't be walked on, that bubble wrap feels funny when you crawl on it.
Toddlers learnt that hula hoops are pretty amazing...that balloons don't fit through the little basketball hoop and that sharing is the way to go. I learnt that an hour of fun is exhausting.
We forget how important play is. We allow little ones to play but when they get school age we become concerned about how much is 'learning' and how much is just fun.
But the just fun is as important. As adults we forget how to play, or think we should 'grow up', become serious and do what has to be done. There is work and bills to pay and houses to clean and gardens to mow...there is also the absurdity of skipping down a street....blowing bubbles for your cat...attempting to climb a tree.
It also means we can play with words, with genres and how poems are set out. (Perhaps it's best to call it experimentation.) No matter what we call it...play time is good time.
Especially when you have someone like this to play with.
Vicki
For the holidays we always have special programs. And these are no different, and for the first time I ran a Tinies Dance and Play session.
We had bubble wrap (LOVED walking and rolling on this), hula hoops, balloons, beach balls, toys and bubbles.
We had music and songs and much much laughter.
It was amazing to see how much the toddlers (and mums...one dad and three grandparents...)enjoyed themselves.
For a lot of people we think of libraries of being full of books. And they are. We associate any program run by libraries to be focused on books.
I won't lie, the majority are. But children also learn by play. Especially babies and toddlers.
Watching as babies and toddlers tried to catch balloons and bubbles. As they crawled through hula hoops and plastic tunnels. As they figured out that one on the seesaw just doesn't work well...or that balloons are slippery suckers and fly out of clutching hands.
It was a lot of fun, but more importantly we all learnt something. Babies learnt that bubbles disappear, that balloons can't be walked on, that bubble wrap feels funny when you crawl on it.
Toddlers learnt that hula hoops are pretty amazing...that balloons don't fit through the little basketball hoop and that sharing is the way to go. I learnt that an hour of fun is exhausting.
We forget how important play is. We allow little ones to play but when they get school age we become concerned about how much is 'learning' and how much is just fun.
But the just fun is as important. As adults we forget how to play, or think we should 'grow up', become serious and do what has to be done. There is work and bills to pay and houses to clean and gardens to mow...there is also the absurdity of skipping down a street....blowing bubbles for your cat...attempting to climb a tree.
It also means we can play with words, with genres and how poems are set out. (Perhaps it's best to call it experimentation.) No matter what we call it...play time is good time.
Especially when you have someone like this to play with.
Vicki
Comments
Post a Comment