Today, I’m talking again with Emily Plank, author of Discovering The Culture of Childhood. It’s the read-along selection this year, for Not Just Cute readers. That means instead of one overview, I get to have several in-depth chats with Emily. It’s been an eye-opener for me, and I know I’m not the only one because I’ve been hearing a lot of great things from listeners as well!
In this episode, we’ll be discussing chapters 3 and 4 of her book. We’re looking, largely, at how play serves as the language of childhood, and what kinds of problems arise when adults begin to forget their native tongue. We’ll discuss tricky topics like pretend violent play, dealing with childhood fears, and how to support truly rich play environments.
As always, Emily invites us to put on a new pair of spectacles and see childhood in a new way, and what she helps us discover there is truly fascinating.
Listen
Notes from the Show:
Send questions for Emily via the Contact Page, using “Read Along” in the subject field.
Find Emily’s Book: Discovering the Culture of Childhood (affiliate link)
Read Emily’s Blog
On Play:
Dr. Stuart Brown and the National Institute of Play
Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul by Dr. Stuart Brown (affiliate link)
Dr. Stuart Brown, TED Talk: Play is More than Just Fun
Play Doesn’t End With Childhood: Why Adults Need Recess Too {NPR}
On Pretend Violent Play:
Teacher Tom writes an essay in Emily’s book, which we reference. Read more about him on his blog and in this post: We Know the Difference .
First Friday Q&A: (Pretend) Weapon Play and Young Children {NJC} (A video Q&A plus lots of articles.)
Other Books We Reference:
The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker (affiliate link)
In Defense of Childhood: Protecting Kids’ Inner Wildness by Chris Mercogliano (affiliate link) *This is the book Emily references with the play tools supply list.
