Personal Play Stories Guide Our Practice

In our workshop, The Rights of the Child, we invite educators to share a play story from childhood. I have been reading educators' play stories for the past few months. Many of the stories focus on playing outside with friends. The specifics of the stories are different, but one attribute is the same. All the stories connect to the work each educator is doing today.

Some stories have a direct connection to their work. For example, the educator enjoyed a specific type of play in childhood. Today, the educator shares similar play with the children in their care. Other stories connect to the work in different ways. Educators said their play stories influence what they believe about children, a belief that guides their work in the classroom today.

Stuart Brown, in the book Play, shares the importance stories have in how people make decisions. "Stories remain central to understanding well after childhood. When people make judgments about right and wrong, they often do so because of a story that they construct about the events that have happened."

All educators have a play story. It influences how we engage with children.

The play I enjoyed as a child is the same type I enjoy today. It is also the type of play I enjoy sharing with the children. Furthermore, my childhood experience in school-age care influenced my decision to work in the field. The philosophies I connect to as an educator relates to my childhood experiences. The stories I remember about play resemble those I cherish about children's play today.

Marcia Nell, Walter Drew, and Deborah Bush share play stories in the book From Play to Practice. "For adults and children, true understanding occurs through constructing knowledge by observing and experiencing the consequences of their actions."

What is your play story? As an educator, have you ever tried to recall and relive play experiences from your childhood?

Most educators are not working right now because of the current situation in the world. Being at home is a great time to reflect on our play experiences. Not all play experiences as a child are positive. I had those experiences too. As I recalled my play stories, positive and negative memories came up. In my experience, the positive outweighed the negative. All our play experiences influence our work with children today.

Take some time this week and try and recall some of your play stories from childhood. Write them down. There is a direct connection between writing and our brain. You will remember more details about the experience by writing down the stories. Think about how your play stories influence your work with children today. Reflect on your experiences and see if they hold some clues about your work with children.

Have fun with the experience. Thinking about your play stories may motivate you to play. Paint a picture, enjoy a walk, or create with your favorite material. Reflect on how your play story affects your work today and how it can enhance your work in the future. We all have a play story. It is the story of our work as a child and our work with children.