Day 019:
Starting two years old, play becomes an integral part of a child's social and cognitive development. Slowly we'll see children move from being surprised at the cause-effect of their actions, to symbolic representations of the world around him or her. Toys become representative of fantastic worlds, or maybe real ones. A doll becomes "my baby", a matchbox car becomes "daddy", a tea party becomes a real party with friends from all over the neighborhood.
When I was a younger, around 4 to around 7, I remember enjoying walking around malls, megamall or whatever SM there was back then. I didn't like the stores. I had no concept of money. But I loved the floor. They were my canvas for fantasy. I imagined the blue tiles to be "safe zones" and the white ones to be boiling lava! I hoped from one side of the cavern of doom to the next. I was a hero trying to save the world! For a child, any place is a playground.
But, i don't know if it's right when that playground becomes our streets. Where the fantasies and dragons, animated in the child's mind, are realized by monsters that honk their horns, travel at 60kph, and have halogen lights for eyes. I don't know if it's still right if the play of children can actually hurt them back.
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