This is a picture of Cecil, a garter snake that is living under a plant in my garden.  Isn’t he cute?

I’ve been reading a lot lately about the concept that many of the skills students need to be successful adults are actually developed when we are children.  Playing make-believe, building with legos, blocks and construction sets, and even playing games like Connect Four are activities that build self control, creativity, problem-solving, and, believe it or not, algebraic reasoning skills! 

I need to read more on this topic but here is what I think.  If we continue to play in life, we will continue to develop these important skills.  At this point in our lives, however, play looks a little different.  We can take part in creative and artistic activities, use our imaginations to work our way out of problems, and have a competitive attitude towards difficult tasks.  Of course, we can play games as well.  Sports, board games, and even some video games (I think) give us practice in anticipating the actions and reactions of other people and remind us that it is fun to be challenged.  I hope I can find some articles that show that this is really the case.