Mike
Carruthers:
One of the best parts of being a child is the ability
to play make-believe.
Susan
Linn:
Make-believe is essential to the health and well-being of
children. It's a foundation of learning, creativity, problem solving, the ability
to make meaning with life. Susan
Linn, author of the book The
Case for Make-Believe, says unfortunately make-believe and creative play are
disappearing. The
best-selling toys are either linked to media, (i.e., it's Batman or the Incredible
Hulk or the Bratz dolls) and/or they're imbedded with computer chips so that these
toys jump and do back flips and sing and dance and roll over so that the toys
are having more fun actually than the children. These toys aren't really encouraging
creative play. Today
kids can watch movies over and over again. And
then if their toys are from that movie it's like this set script. And so preschool
teachers all across the country are saying, first of all, that kids are coming
into preschool without knowing how to play creatively. But also that they're not
using the play to nurture and explore their own fantasies or their own concerns
- it's just sort of more rote. In
terms of nurturing creativity and make-believe in children, Susan says… The
best toys are toys that just lie there until children transform them. At
somethingyoushouldknow.net I'm
Mike Carruthers and that's Something You Should Know.
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