Quotes: 
 “Play is the exultation of the possible.” Martin Buber
 "Creative play is like a spring that bubbles up from deep within a child." Joan Almon
Essential Play Items for My Younger Self
 
 
My Play as a Child 
When I was a child play was what I did.  Kindergarten still centered around play, and no one excected anything else of me.  I loved to pretend I was in a group of teenage crime fighters, and I would play outside ever day.  My family provided me with the tools I needed to play out the activities I liked.  I was given a three wheeler on my fourth birthday and allowed to ride it around our 80+ acre farm.   My family all lived on the property, and my sister and I were the only kids in the family.  
Play Today v. Play When I was a Child
When I was a child we lived on a farm and that meant that we played outside a lot.  Now I see a lot of children playing inside watching television.  When I was a child imagination was valued and encourage, and now it seems society spoon feeds props and ideas for imaginative play.  I hope that this generation will take a step back and embrace the things of times past.  
Role of Play
Play helped to make me the person I am today.  I learned to think outside the box, self talk, play nice, and imagine the possibilities.  Play got me through the most difficult things in my childhood, and allowed me to see the way out.  Play has shaped my life!