fyi beaumont may2016
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Beaumont FCSS provides services to individuals, families, children, youth, seniors and the community. Please check out our programs and services for details on how we can assist you or contact us at the number and addresses below. FYI BEAUMONT Newsletter Beaumont FCSS has launched a newsletter to inform you about what’s happening in the community:TRANSCRIPT
FYI BEAUMONT | May 2016
Main Feature
Play! What is it and What are the Benefits?CALENDAR OF EVENTS
MAY May 1 – 7 Mental Health Week
May 1 – 7 Emergency Preparedness Week
May 1 – 7 Hospice Palliative Care Week;
May 1 – 7 Hunger Awareness Week
May 6th Students Against Drunk Driving Dodgeball Tournament at ESBCHS
www.beaumont.ab.ca/fcss
It is almost impossible to give a clear
and concise definition of the word play
because there are so many variations of
play. What one person defines as play
may be very different than what play is
to another and yet play is universal and
necessary to all. Webster’s Dictionary
defines play as: “to move lightly, rapidly,
etc.: to engage in recreation: to take part
in game or sport: to perform on a musical
instrument: to give out sounds: to act in a
specified way”.
Stuart Brown, MD and author of the book
“Play” writes that he doesn’t really use an
absolute definition of Play because it’s
varied, preverbal and preconscious. He
does, however give us his ideas of what
the properties of play are:
• Apparentlypurposeless
(done for own sake)
• Voluntary
• Inherentattraction
• Freedomfromtime
• Diminishedconsciousnessofself
• Improvisationalpotential
• Continuationdesire
So what do those properties mean? Well,
according to Brown, play doesn’t seem to
have survival value like getting us money
for paying the rent or putting food on
the table, but, it is done for our own sake.
We do it voluntarily because it makes us
feel good when we don’t have to worry
abouttime.Asamatteroffact,ifweare
fully engaged we don’t even worry if we
look good or not! Equally important is that
when we play we do it without preparation
and we do so with whatever is at hand. Not
only that, we want to keep doing it!
Play is absolutely essential to every
aspect of early development and lays the
foundation for formal learning and success
throughout life. It underlies everything from
physical health and well-being, to social
competence, emotional maturity, language
and thinking skills and communication skills
and general knowledge. Dr. Jane Hewes
whowrites,“LettheChildrenPlay:Nature’s
AnswertoEarlyLearning”statesthatPlayis
also responsible for promoting confidence,
creativity, scientific reasoning and abstract
thinking.
Recent neuroscientific research also
suggests there are significant benefits from
spontaneous free play and that having
an adult engage in the child’s play is even
more beneficial. What you play isn’t as
important as following your child’s lead
during play time. But most importantly
having fun together is the goal.
FYI BEAUMONT | May 2016
www.beaumont.ab.ca/fcss
Play for Seniors - Play is for Everyone
FYI Beaumont | May 2016 Page 2
Play is not just for children. In the adult world, play is often in the form of music, drama, novels, dances, celebrations and festivals. It enables adults to attain a higher level of existence, to develop new levels of mastery, imagination and culture. It allows adults to be free within their social structures.
Adultplayisfrequentlyundertakenwithaspecificgoalinmind such as 1) social bonding; 2) emotional expression, 3) cognitive development; and 4) constructive competition. Stuart Brown, the founder of the National Institute for Play, believes that many adults close themselves off to play because they think they should always be serious and productive.
Theoppositeofplayisnotwork.AccordingtoStuartBrown,the opposite of play is depression. Play allows us to express joy and connect deeply with what is best in ourselves and others.
So why Intergenerational Play Intergenerational play engenders respect for the differences and similarities of each generation’s knowledge, strength and values.DuringSeniorsWeek2016,FCSSwillbehostinganintergenerational activity with seniors and children from the EarlyLearningChildcareCentreusingLEGO®bricks.
LEGO®SERIOUSPLAY®isaprocessusingbricksdesigneddevelopedbyLEGO®tobringthecreativityandinspirationofplaytovariouscommunitygroups.InfactthewordLEGO®isacontractionoftheDanishphrase“LegGodt”whichmeans“Play Well”.
There are many similarities in the benefits of intergenerational play for children and adults. Some of these include the following: • Flexibilityinthinking • Makingnewconnectionsofmeaning • Changingperspectivesandsolvingproblems • Learningtoadaptandchange • Oxygenatingandstimulatingbloodflowtothebrain • Experimentingwithnewrolesforself
Research shows that children who play with adults demonstrate greater creativity and higher levels of language and problem solving skills than when playing solely with otherchildren.Oneofthehardestthingstoteachkidsis how to make it past difficulty or boredom to find fun. Grandparentsmaytakemoretimetoletchildrenexpressthemselves in play to find enjoyment.
Play is for ChildrenPlay allows children to express and explore feelings, thought and experiences. They learn to share, to compromise and to respond to others.
Childrenhaveabuilt-inplaynature.Thisabilityallowsthemto learn about themselves and the world, stimulates the mind and body, builds bonds, fosters greater imagination and supports all stages of development www.playisforever.com.
Play and self-regulation: Imaginative play and free play are incredibly important in helping to develop the ability to self-regulate our impulses, emotions, and attention span. Researcher Laura Berk explains, “Self-regulation predicts effective development in virtually every domain.” Self–regulation isn’t an inborn skill; it is one that is learned over time, through problem-solving, understanding our emotions andproperresponsestothoseemotions.Freeplay,suchas recess, helps to foster these problem solving skills and
imaginative play can be used to explore our emotions.
Joint Storybook Reading: Reading storybooks with preschoolers promotes self-regulation, not just because it fosters language development, but because children’s stories are filled with characters who model effective self-regulatory strategies.
Encourage Children to Talk to Themselves: Like adults, children spontaneously speak to themselves to guide and manage their own behavior, children often use self-guiding comments recently picked up from their interactions with adults, demonstrating that they are beginning to apply those strategies to themselves.
Thetakeaway?Givingchildrenplay-breaksandmakingchildren’s academic lessons more playful, might be a way to enhance kids’ natural capacities for self-motivated learning.
FYI BEAUMONT | May 2016
www.beaumont.ab.ca/fcss
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FYI BEAUMONT | May 2016
FYI Beaumont | October 2015 Page 4
Asset BuildingLong ago are the days when the kids would be sent outside to
just ‘play’, but can your teen still benefit from ‘playtime’? Early
Childhoodeducatorsandresearchershavelongrecognizedthe
power of play for psychosocial development in children, but
why should that stop when we hit thirteen (or thirty)?
Formanyteenagers,‘play’hasturnedinto‘work’.Theyare‘playing’-piano,hockey,
soccer-by someone else’s rules and structure 5-6 days of the week. Many parents
are unsure about letting their teenager have too much free time, but by giving this
free time with some loose guidelines it can empower kids to ‘play’ again. When
letting your child pursue their interests, think ‘balance’ instead of ‘structure’. There
can be room for video games our just ‘hanging out’ in a healthy teenagers life, but
balance between ‘play’, school, structured activities and physical, mental and creative
activities is the most important factor in having well-rounded interests.
Play is also important in helping your teen find their ‘spark’. The Search Institute has
identified two important supports that thriving kids have:
1. Knowledge of what their ‘spark’ (an activity or passion that encourages kids to be
their best selves) is;
2. Oneormoreadultswhosupportandencouragethisspark.
Encourageyourteenagertotrynewthings,withoutmakingitachore.Yourteenmay
discover some hidden talents or passion that lies in them which is great! Now you get
to play the role of supporter; keeping the ‘spark’ ignited so that your child can benefit
with energy, joy and direction in their life.
TolearnmoreaboutSparksandthe40DevelopmentalAssetsgoto
www.search-institute.org
Brodie Stenhouse
CONTACT FCSS Kim Williston FCSSDirector 780-929-1006
Brodie Stenhouse CommunityDevelopmentCoordinator 780-929-1006
Kaylene McKinney CommunityDevelopmentCoordinator 780-929-1006
Jean Collins-Smith CommunityDevelopmentCoordinator 780-929-1006
Linda Mix-Kondratski YouthOutreachCoordinator 780-504-5969
Sarah Fodchuk YouthCentreSupervisor ChantalBérubéYouthCentre(CBYC) 780-929-5155
Margaret Munchrath AdministrativeSupport 780-929-1006
www.beaumont.ab.ca/fcss
FYI Beaumont | May 2016 Page 4