Labor Day - A Day of Play

Adults celebrate Labor Day as a day of rest from our hard work, and a day to be thankful for the opportunity to work. While adults may be taking it easy today, I do hope that children are hard at work.

When I ask children what they will do, given a day off, I often get a similar answer. Almost without variance, the day will revolve around video games. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against video games per se, but I grew up in THAT neighborhood.

In THAT neighborhood, the children were all hard at work.

"Play is the work of the child..."

                  Maria Montessori

In THAT neighborhood, little girls were rocking their baby dolls and practicing being mommies. Little boys were digging with trucks in the dirt... and dreaming of building big buildings. Kids were swinging on tire swings and dreaming of the future... and every week the bookmobile stopped by with books that helped the kids learn about the world and the many possibilities for their futures.

I recently watched a video by a panel of Australian children's authors and illustrators. It was a wonderful tribute to how their faith is the force behind their writing, whether overtly in the words on the page or through a child's eyes of a Christian worldview.

I made me think of the power of preschool play -- or pretending -- and the role that children's books make on building Christian character.

Preschoolers love to pretend.

Pretending can be wonderful practice for the way that God wants them to live, as young children and later as teens and adults. It can instill a confidence to follow the plan that God has for their lives.

Christian children's books help them pretend, or practice, how to live God's plan for their lives.

I wish you and your family a wonderful day together of work - and of play.

Carol