“Play is the work of the child,” wrote Maria Montessori, pushing back against the tendency of adults to trivialize the child’s constant quest for movement and exploration. “It is work he must do in order to grow up.”
Tell that to New York City.
A few weeks ago, we received a rare spring Sunday amid a harsh and brutal February. After Mass, my son — a squirmy, active 2½-year-old — my husband and friends walked to the Pier 26 playground along the Hudson River to let Zev run around after he exhibited extraordinary skill at sitting still in church…