My Connections To Play

My Connections to Play

 I believe that play in my early childhood was very beneficial for me as I grew into an adult. Through play I learned that I could be anything or anyone that I wanted to be by using my imagination. I can remember riding my bike and pretending to be a school bus driver, stopping at different spots in my grandmothers yard to pick up students. I do not remember any adults in my play in my younger days before the age of ten I mainly played with my sister and cousins. I do remember my dad helping me to learn how to ride my bicycle without the trainging wheels. I lived with my grandmother and grandfather until the age of ten. We lived on a farm and when my sister and I played we were outside. When my cousins came over we were always outside while the adults were inside.   The play I did mainly pertained to things that I saw in my environment. I had a kitchen set on my grandmother’s back porch my sister and I played with. We pretended to cook supper and cakes like my grandma. I do remember having the game called Merlin. This game was a hand held game that taught me to listen to sounds and watch the lighted areas in order to match the right sequence to win.  I believe that play has changed from when I was I believe that play has changed from when I was younger. I think parents have become more aware of the importance of play and take part in their play.  I also think that the play is different due to all the technology our children have today. I also can remember when I was younger that we could ride our bikes up and down the road and not have to worry about someone coming by and kidnapping us or offering us drugs. I feel that play is very important for children. I did not have that much to play with as a young child at my grandmothers, but I learned a lot by playing out in nature.  I think this play is what leads to my love for animals and the outdoors.  As I grew older my play lead to more games such as cards. My step mom taught me how to play many games that taught math skills.  I think we can learn many skills through play at any age.

Here are some pictures of a kitchen set that is somewhat similar as well as the bicycle. The red game is called Merlin. Have any of you ever had the Merlin game. I think it is neat after my grandmother died this year we found the Merlin that my sister and I played with.

Quotes:  Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning....They have to play with

what they know to be true in order to find out more, and then they can use what they

learn in new forms of play. --Fred Rogers of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood

The most effective kind of education is that a child should play amongst lovely things.” Plato

    

Immunizations

 

 I chose to talk about immunizations. I feel that immunizations are a very important inexpensive way to protect our children from childhood diseases.  I understand that there are some side effects from the vaccines. However, there are side effects with any medicine.I know of some people who chose not to get theri children the immunizations due to the side effects. I  chose to give the immunizations to my three children.  I feel that  we could handle the side effects but I could not handle my child suffering from a disease that I could have prevented with a simple shot.
 Immunizations simplely place a small dose of the disease into the body, which then builds up immunity to the disease. Then if a child come in contact with the disease the body immune system goes into action. Immunizations  helps to make children stronger and when children have a strong immune system they do not miss out on school or  things they want to do.

I did some research on Africa and Immunizations. In Africa one of every  eight children dies before the age of five. Pneumonia and dirrahea are the biggest killers. Polio is also a disease that is killing  African children.  There are a large number of children in Africa who do not recieve immunizations in Africa due to funding. This is way many organizations such as UNICEF is aiding in getting vaccines to the poorest countries in the world.
 I feel that this information is helpful in my line of work because when children come to school with a healthy immune system there is less likely to be the spread of  disease such as chicken pox and sickness like the flu.

http://allafrica.com/
 An eveluation of infant immunization in Africa; is a transformation in progress.
http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/85/6/06-031526.pdf