Back in the day, play activities were mainly physical with parents and teachers insisting on more outdoor activities. This does not mean that there were fewer indoor activities even though there were higher levels of creativity involved that are identified in modern societies. It was common for us to participate in camping and hiking with family members when young, especially during the holiday. Neighborhood games with other neighborhood kids were encouraged with parents insisting that we leave the house and interact more with the neighborhood kids (Johnson, Christie and Wardle 137).
Some of the most favorite play activities that children engaged in the past included skipping ropes, painting, and playing on monkey bars. The modern environment that children grow up in, insists on more indoor play activities where the number of play activities that they can engage in is identified to be limited. While the previous generation had to generate their play products through creative participation such as art and crafts with the close guidance of parents and teachers, modern play activities seem to be insistent on previously developed play apparatus that is too complex for the child to comprehend (Samuelsson and Fleer 98).
It may be identified that parents these days are busier with their work to play an active role in the growth and development of their kids. This has left them with very few options as far as their portfolio of play activities is concerned. It may, however, be identified that human beings have perfected their ability to adapt and evolve. This means that even though modern play activities are less creative and involve more indoor play, they have had recorded successes in ensuring that the main goal of adopting play in the development of children is achieved (Johnson, Christie, and Wardle 142). The inefficiencies identified in the current play activities are compensated by the fact that even the adult life that the children are expected to lead in the future, has also been evolving to include more indoor practices. The fact that manufactured play products do not fit in the basic perception of children, means that they have to grow up with questions on how the same things came to be such as video games (Johnson, Christie and Wardle 163). The previous generation was lucky to have play activities where they generated their products thus building their perceptive and cognitive functions.
It is still identified that while the social-cultural aspects of play are quite consistent with societal expectations, the social performance of a child who has to contend with less interactive play activities such as video games is quite stunted. While in the past children were more involved in their immediate community through their interaction with neighbors, current play activities limit this interaction (Samuelsson and Fleer 124). The fact that parents are no longer available to guide their children especially through organizing playdates with the neighbors’ kids means that the ability of modern children in interacting with children is delayed (Samuelsson and Fleer 73). Children often find it challenging to interact with the rest of the kids when they join a school (Johnson, Christie, and Wardle 185). The cognitive abilities of modern children are also delayed due to the limited environmental factors that they are exposed to as they grow. This has a lasting effect on their adult life with there being a record of more adults suffering from psychosocial challenges.
Works Cited
Johnson, James, Christie James, and Wardle Francis. Play, Development, and Early Education. Boston: Pearson Education, Inc. 2005. Print.
Samuelsson, Ingrid and Fleer Marylin. Play and Learning in Early Childhood Settings: International Perspectives. New York: Springer. 2008. Print.