Teacher:     Dear students, how much play time do you have every day?

Siu Ming:   Teacher, I learn swimming after school on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. On Saturday, I take a class on Mathematical Olympiad, and on Sunday, violin. The rest of the time, I study at home and sleep. No time for play.

Siu Fong:    Mom is worried that my school results won’t be good and so I have to take tutorial classes after school and do supplementary exercises on Saturday and Sunday. The rest of the time is review after review on schoolwork. I also want very much to play.

Siu Keung: I don’t like playing. Mom says diligence rewards, play is futile…

Now the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child advocates at least an hour of play every day for children. The church also encourages parents to spend more time on activities with their children to strengthen family ties and maintain good physical and mental health. On “Children and Youth’s Fun Day,” the children and youth from various communities of the church can put aside the burden of their studies for a while to relax, exercise, build community momentum and serve one another through different games and activities. Play may look like something extravagant under Hong Kong’s education system that emphasizes results. While diligence rewards, is play really futile?

        A time to play: When God created the heavens and the earth, He put order to the earth that was formless. All that God made was in perfect order (Genesis 1-2). There is a time to learn, a time to play, and a time to rest. The Heavenly Father teaches us to live a balanced life. Play is not to kill our children’s time or to reduce the nuisance they bring to you. Appropriate play allows children to stop awhile from busy schoolwork to relieve pressure, have fun and be refreshed through play so that they can live an orderly life and grow up more healthily.

       Play is beneficial: Play nourishes children’s creativity and enhances the development of physical, mental, social and spiritual health. Cooking, drawing and self-created games – indeed every ball, every building block can bring much joy to the child. While extracurricular activities tend to emphasize skills training, play provides room for the child to enjoy freedom and have fun in creativity. Although children and youth are different age groups, play allows them to learn to accommodate, share and take care of one another.

       Play is rewarding: Effectiveness is emphasized in today’s society. Parents stress more on school results than the healthy growth of children. The important effects of play on growth are thus ignored. Play is where children can learn social skills such as sharing and accommodating. It is also where they can learn the correct attitude towards win and lose, that “affording to lose” is more important than “winning.” This will enable them to improve themselves through failures. Compared to those who give up on themselves as they cannot squarely face their failures, those who can afford to lose can better appreciate the richness of life than long-time winners.

       The Children and Youth Fun Day will take place on Saturday, November 9. All those attending K1-F6 and their family are welcome to join. Please stay tuned for our announcements. We look forward to your presence.