Play — It’s Inspired Some Great People To Write Great Quotes
“In play a child always behaves beyond his average age, above his daily behavior. In play it is as though he were a head taller than himself.”
Lev Vygotsky, Russian psychologist, 1896–1934
Toys bring out the best in children. Why? Because toys let children engage in a way that empowers them to be creative. It gives them a chance to be anything or anyone they want to be, without limits — especially limits that are imposed by societies that judge people based on their ethnicity, skin color, gender, sexual orientation or religion.
Believe it or not, it is for these same reasons that adults are drawn to toys. But for us, it’s harder to get “there” because we’ve been brainwashed by people who tell us we can’t possibly succeed because “______________” fill in the blank.
Since we live in a world where there are lots of people who will tell you what’s not possible, I dedicate this post to some people who help all of us — young and old — see the value in playing with toys.
“It’s the things we play with and the people who help us play that make a great difference in our lives.”
Fred Rogers
1928–2003
“The drive to play freely is a basic, biological drive. Lack of free play may not kill the physical body, as would lack of air, food, or water, but it kills the spirit and stunts mental growth.”
Peter Gray
Contemporary American psychologist
“It is a happy talent to know how to play.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
1803–1882
“The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct.”
Carl Jung
1875–1961
“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”
Maya Angelou
1928–2014
“So, in all these spheres — in painting, sculpture, drawing, music, singing, dancing, gymnastics, games, sports, writing, and speech — we can carry on to our heart’s content, all through our long lives, complex and specialized forms of exploration and experiment.”
Desmond Morris
Remember, toys are joy. (I said that.)
