To-Do: PLAY

This is Noah at 1 year and 8 months -- playing soccer on our street.

Yes, I let Noah play on our street. I have always been a believer in the importance of play in a child's development.

Just recently, Noah was playing outside with my niece Makki. When our neighbor Sophie went out to play with them, he came running into the house crying. Turns out, the girls didn't want to play basketball with him and instead, wanted to play badminton. After processing the situation with him - how he wanted to play a game they didn't like and how they wanted to play a game he didn't like, I sent him back out to deal with the problem. He suggested they take turns playing basketball, then badminton (syempre, una pa rin yung gusto niya!). But the girls didn't want to because they said there wouldn't be time to play both games (they only had a few minutes left before dark). So they ended up choosing a game they all wanted to play: this tag game these days called Ice Ice Water.

Aside from the physical skills the active games inevitably taught them, that day's playtime drama taught them essential character-building skills like problem-solving, compromise, conflict-resolution and frustration-tolerance.

It is no wonder then that reputable entities like Johnson & Johnson, Play Pilipinas and DepEd have banded together in the campaign 'Di Lang Laro Ang Laro (Playtime is not just a pasttime), which advocates the importance of 1 hour of daily active play in children's health and holistic development.

I love that this campaign reminds me of what's important. Because with all the academic pressure in schools these days, it's easy for parents to fall into the trap of thinking playtime is just a pasttime.

Even I was guilty of this recently. I was out doing errands and arrived home a couple of hours after Noah got home. I came home to so much homework and very little time to do it. Frustrated, I asked Noah what he did the whole time since he got home. And when Noah said he played outside, I -- the supposed advocate of play -- found myself scolding Noah for playing. Yes, it is easy to dismiss play as just play.

So I am grateful to the Di Lang Laro Ang Laro advocacy of Johnson & Johnson, Play Pilipinas and DepEd. It is important for every parent to be educated that play is as important as everything else on their kid's daily to-do list: Play is just as important as eating, sleeping and studying. So let's all put PLAY on our kids' daily to-do list. Let's include 1 hour of play every day on our children's schedules.

Noah actually put playing with his cousin on his to-do list (I put red checks so you can easily spot this task on his list).

Now, my job is making sure its box gets ticked every day.

'Di Lang Laro Ang Laro. Add 1 hour of play every day on your child's to-do list too!


Photos are my own, from nyctaughtme and courtesy of Johnson & Johnson, the makers of Johnson's Baby Cooling Bath, Johnson's Baby Prickly Heat Powder, Johnson's Baby Daily Sun Protection Lotion and Johnson's Baby Happy Berries Cologne -- my personal picks to keep Noah cool, refreshed and protected from the discomforts of playing under the sun. With these products, I can make sure Noah can play outdoors at least 1 hour every day without me having to worry about the hot, sticky feeling, prickly heat, sun damage or stinky smell from playing under the sun. 

Watch out tomorrow for the down-in-the-dots version of this post.

Summer

Summer is here! Time for the kids to play outdoors instead of being cooped up indoors playing Temple Run or Draw Something. Time to let them play, explore & learn.

We went on a picnic with friends in Ateneo last August and Noah tried to fly a kite. But it wasn't windy enough to keep his kite up in the air. He did have fun exploring nature and playing with friends; he even climbed a tree!

I love the Ateneo grounds. When Isabella was young, we would go on picnics in the High School field, the Bellarmine field or the place around the Meron Lagoon. This particular picnic with Noah was some other place in the Ateneo College grounds, but because of the new buildings, I'm not exactly sure where it is anymore. It was actually nice because there's parking, an open field and benches shaded by trees. We just brought some food and banig mats and we had an instant picnic! We always bring a kite, and sometimes even a bike, in case the wind doesn't cooperate.

I can't wait to try kite-flying again this summer!

I can already imagine the glee on Noah's face when he is finally able to keep his kite in flight.

So what outdoor activities do you have planned for your kids this summer? Are you planning some piko or hopscotch?

Or maybe just going to the playground to get on the swing?

Am thinking of trying this block of ice activity from nyctaughtme. I figure it would be a fun activity to cool down on a hot summer day (apart from maybe, Johnson's Baby Cooling Powder & Bath).

Armed with the new Johnson's baby daily sun protection lotion, I have no qualms letting Noah play and explore under the sun this summer!

It is going to be a fun, fun summer!

Photos are my own and from nyctaughtme.