What Happened to True Fun?
The question of what happened to true fun in our early childhood programs has weighed on my mind lately. What do I mean by true fun? Those bliss-filled moments during the day when you aren’t watching the clock or planning activity number one hundred for the week. Those moments when a toddler is laughing so hard their belly shakes. Those moments when you lay on the ground with a group of preschoolers inspecting an ant crawling on a dried-up worm. Those moments when nothing matters but being fully present. Those moments seem far and few between in our current early childhood climate.
I recently visited the Aurora Preschool in Vermont. The children in this program thrive in an environment filled with true fun. I observed children splashing in the water, chatting with teachers, swinging on swings, and playing in the forest during my visit. No one was rushing them or saying, “don’t do that.” The children are competent and capable. Their play is valuable. These children were bliss-filled, and their caregivers had smiles on their faces.
Anytime I have a nagging feeling about something, I do research. I started reading the book The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again by Catherine Price to dig deeper into the topic of true fun. This powerful excerpt from the book gives a glimpse into the current state of childhood in the United States: “Much has been written about the mental health problems caused by the pressures and demands that are being put on kids at younger and younger ages, as they’re forced to compete for admission at a tiny handful of schools that their parents hope will offer them a golden ticket to “success” (whatever that means). Far less acknowledged but no less conceding is the fact that by treating childhood as a resume-building opportunity, by learning no space in our kids’ schedules for (supposedly) purposeless play, we’re also revenging our children from having True Fun. What’s more, we’re creating a values system that will reduce their ability to experience it for their entire lives. How can you build a life full of playfulness, connection, and flow when you’ve never been taught that they’re important ( or, even more concerning, if you have experienced them to begin with)?”
True Fun and learning are not opposite sides of a coin. They can (and do) co-exist for all humans, especially our youngest learners. Do we really want to create generation after generation of people who spend their days surviving and not thriving? Our children deserve a world where the adults around them value and participate in their lives in meaningful ways. They don’t need us to plan activity after activity to keep them busy. They need us to provide opportunities to explore, play and have true fun with us.
