The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1913-09-12
The Value of Play


PLAY is a very important function Of
life. That is why DIR. Gulick says, "On
the play ground the child lives, while in
school he prepares to live. That is why
it is true that if you tell me how a child
plays, | can tell you how he Will work.
The life of people indicates more than
anything else its vitality morals, in
telligence. and fitness to live"
There has been great transition In
the place that play has held in school
and college life. A few years ago it was
thought that good student must be
sickly, college athletics were for the
strongest men only-for those who
needed exercise least and those who
need it most were entirely neglected.
Now it is believed that for either to be
most efficient, brain and Drawn should
90 together and so in our best colleges
all students, unless physically deformed,
are required to take physical exercise
under the direction of specialists. Be-
cause the leading educators believe that
children do best what they do uncon-
sciously, play has become an important
factor in education. To lead the child
to forget himself, games are employed
in the school room. Competitive inter-
est is in this way aroused and the child
makes much faster progress than by
older methods.
1t is not the object of this short article,
however, to discuss play in this aspect
for most teachers make use of the de-
vice. Nevertheless, far too few COM
prehend the value of organized play on
the school ground. Good health demands
the proper development of the heart
and lungs during the period of growth.
The lack of proper play activity In
childhood and youth retards the develop
ment of these organs and often lays the
| foundation for weakness throughout
life. 1t is said that there are continually
three million people sick in our country
and that half of these are suffering from
preventable diseases. Each year one
preventable disease, tuberculosis, alone
causeses half as many deaths IN the
United States as were killed in the four
years of the Civil War. A proper selec-
! tion and use of sports and games at
school will materially aid in the develop
ment of the bodily organs that make for
health and strength.
Judging from the diminutive play
grounds so often found in the vicinity
of Clio, the idea must be prevalent that
lOI pay
or even harmful. This must come from
the fact that these children are required
to work at home which is believed to be
of sufficient amount to develop them
properly. To say nothing of the old
adage that "All work and no play makes
Jack dull boy" it has been found that
the most physically perfect college
students come not from the farm but
| a oft
physical training in school. Nothing will
correct the habit of round shoulders and
make the boy forget his awkwardness
as exercises and games.
Nothing can be worse for boy than
to acquire the habit of loafing during
noon and recess periods. Yet this is a
very conspicuous custom in schools
where there is no organized play. The
great characteristic of life is activity
and if this is arrested or misdirected at
school, that great institution so IN
dispensable to free government, is fall
ing to perform one of its greatest func-
tions.
Among the many lessons the child
learns in play, is self reliance. He is
thrown upon his own resources; he must
use head work as well as possess en-
durance. Again, if his actions are neces-
sary to others. he learns the value OF
team work, that element so necessary
to organized society, and if he is loya
to the best interests of the team, nc
must often sacrifice opportunity to stai
for the good of all. Another vital lessor
he learns is fair play. Since he expects
others to play fair, he finds the same i:
required of him. Playing the game de-