Child's Play

Keep in mind that most kids have the ability to work through their issues on their own...  Your child's play belongs solely to him.
As I continue through the chapter "Understanding Children's Play and Art," there is a discussion that it is best to not inject oneself into the child's play time - to be audience until invited rather than say inserting one's adult narrative or reality.  The point is to allow the child to explore his own imagination, create his own fantasy.  In reflection, I may not have been very good at this as I always immediately got down to play with Iggy and I'd make suggestions, push his imagination in different directions.  I always enjoyed playing with him and I wonder if my enjoyment of this time with him may have curtailed his explorations.  I certainly hope not and there's not much to do about now as he is 10 years old and already draws so much of his ideas from the popular culture that he is audience to from graphic novels to video games to movies and books...  All that said, he did spend ages 2-4 at a Montessori school, so hopefully he got plenty of free play there. 

Pre-K was at PS 9, but his teacher was very progressive and kindergarten at Brooklyn Prospect Charter School which unfortunately did not have an outdoor space.  I hated that issue with the school as to me recess and lunch were the best times in my early elementary - the freedom to run around in the school yard.  Part of me still regrets going along with that school, but Brooke was adamant that it presented the best academic choice.  I was doubtful that the academic part of the school was most important at that time - that is above the sense of freedom enjoyed in the schoolyard.  Ideally they would be balanced which was not an option at the downtown BPCS.

One of the "Things 2 Do" activities presents using the memory card game Concentration to chare feelings:

  • Place a full deck of playing cards face down in several rows.
  • Each player takes turns turning over any two cards of his choice to try to make matches.
  • When a player fails to make a match it's the next person's turn.
  • Play continues until all cards are face up and matched.
  • The twist is that each suit represents a different emotion, for example hearts stands for something you like or love, spades - something that makes you feel sad or that you fear, clubs - something that makes you mad, diamonds - something that you wish for.
  • Whenever two numbers or face cards match, there will be two suites to choose from.
  • The player who makes a match must make a statement based on the suit of one of the matching cards.


By expressing fears, wishes, likes and dislikes in a game format, kids may express more, particularly since everyone is doing it.  I'm uncertain that Iggy will play along with this game, but it's certainly worth a try.  The issue that Iggy and I often run into is that when it is only the two of us, games are not as much fun.  Building stuff can be fun, drawing can be fun and certainly two-person games can work, but a game like this is more fun when it is more than just us two.

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