--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Teach a child to play solitaire, and…" description: "\"Teach a child to play solitaire, and she'll be able to entertain herself when there's no one around. Teach her tennis, and she'll know what to do when ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/513/joyce-maynard-7181_able_teach-a-child-to-play-solitaire-and-she_1742557.jpg" --- # Teach a child to play solitaire, and she'll be able to… ![“Teach a child to play solitaire, and she'll be able to entertain herself when there's no one around. Teach her tennis, and she'll know what to do when she's on a court. But raise her to feel comfortable in nature, and the whole planet is her home.” quote by Joyce Maynard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/513/joyce-maynard-7181_able_teach-a-child-to-play-solitaire-and-she_1742557.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/513/joyce-maynard-7181_able_teach-a-child-to-play-solitaire-and-she_1742557.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/513/joyce-maynard-7181_able_teach-a-child-to-play-solitaire-and-she_1742557.jpg) > “Teach a child to play solitaire, and she'll be able to entertain herself when there's no one around. Teach her tennis, and she'll know what to do when she's on a court. But raise her to feel comfortable in nature, and the whole planet is her home.” [Joyce Maynard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-maynard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Teaching children diverse skills fosters independence, adaptability, and a deep connection to nature. **In simple terms:** Varied learning creates self‑reliance and love for the world. Key Takeaway Encourage broad experiences early. Themes education independence environment Mood encouraging hopeful Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - parenting - school curricula - outdoor programs - personal growth Key Concepts skill diversity nature appreciation Questions to Reflect On - What skill could you teach a child today? - How does nature shape personal identity? A Different Perspective Resources may limit exposure to varied activities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Able](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) [Around](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/around/) [Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Child Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child-play-323948/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Comfortable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comfortable/) [Court](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/court/) [Entertain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entertain/) [Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel/) [Her](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/her/) [Herself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/herself/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Planet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/planet/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Play Solitaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play-solitaire-1532050/) [Raise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/raise/) [She](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/she/) [Solitaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solitaire/) [Teach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teach/) [Teach Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teach-child/) [Teach Tennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teach-tennis-1532051/) [Tennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tennis/) [Whole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole/) ## Related quotes > [I'm not at all competitive. I'd rather play Solitaire than ping-pong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-galecki/i-m-not-at-all-competitive-i-d-rather-play-solitaire-than-ping-pong/) [Johnny Galecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-galecki/) > [“I don't play solitaire. It seems so lonely, somehow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-webb/i-don-t-play-solitaire-it-seems-so-lonely-somehow/) [Peggy Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-webb/) > [I play solitaire and wait for something to happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-lamotta/i-play-solitaire-and-wait-for-something-to-happen/) [Jake LaMotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-lamotta/) > [Mr. Brad Delp. J'ai une ame solitaire. I am a lonely soul,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-delp/mr-brad-delp-j-ai-une-ame-solitaire-i-am-a-lonely-soul/) [Brad Delp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-delp/) > [No one who has experienced the intense involvement of computer modeling would deny that the temptation exists to use any data input that will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lovelock/no-one-who-has-experienced-the-intense-involvement-of-computer/) [James Lovelock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lovelock/) > [I had a real computer solitaire problem. I'd gotten to the point where I had to win a game before I could write, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/i-had-a-real-computer-solitaire-problem-i-d-gotten-to-the-point-where/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [I have an Apple computer, which I use to play Spider Solitaire and do research on the Internet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-trebek/i-have-an-apple-computer-which-i-use-to-play-spider-solitaire-and-do/) [Alex Trebek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-trebek/) > [“Playing Solitaire is a non-smoking employee’s smoke break.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/playing-solitaire-is-a-non-smoking-employee-s-smoke-break/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [My biggest vice is playing solitaire on my iPad. It's bad. I mean, it's ridiculous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-von-furstenberg/my-biggest-vice-is-playing-solitaire-on-my-ipad-it-s-bad-i-mean-it-s/) [Diane von Furstenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-von-furstenberg/) > [Brandon McCaw beat that game solitare 500,000,000,000 times on Direct T.V. He has all this footage on Channels. 74, and 126 and on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-mccaw/brandon-mccaw-beat-that-game-solitare-500-000-000-000-times-on-direct/) [Brandon McCaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-mccaw/) > [“A crooked old man had been playing solitaire in there with an actual deck of cards when she and Chloe had arrived. Emily estimated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-brogan/a-crooked-old-man-had-been-playing-solitaire-in-there-with-an-actual/) [Tracy Brogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-brogan/) > [“Was it true what The Big Man had said, that she would have nothing to do with men? He doubted it. She seemed open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-fleming/was-it-true-what-the-big-man-had-said-that-she-would-have-nothing-to/) [Ian Fleming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-fleming/) > [“Aside from her unpleasant sleep, and one game of solitaire with Lana,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyssia-kirkhart/aside-from-her-unpleasant-sleep-and-one-game-of-solitaire-with-lana/) [Alyssia Kirkhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyssia-kirkhart/) > [Anger infests Lee Bowyer's simple mind. He could get sent off playing solitaire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-winter/anger-infests-lee-bowyer-s-simple-mind-he-could-get-sent-off-playing/) [Henry Winter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-winter/) > [“Samuel said, “One day we’ll sit and you’ll lay it out on the table, neat like a solitaire deck, but now—why, you can’t find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/samuel-said-one-day-we-ll-sit-and-you-ll-lay-it-out-on-the-table-neat/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) ## More by Joyce Maynard > [The silence was part of the story I wanted to tell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-maynard/the-silence-was-part-of-the-story-i-wanted-to-tell/) [Joyce Maynard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-maynard/) > [A person who deserves my loyalty receives it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-maynard/a-person-who-deserves-my-loyalty-receives-it/) [Joyce Maynard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-maynard/) > [No, I said. I didn't remember that. There was so much to remember, sometimes the best thing was to forget.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-maynard/no-i-said-i-didn-t-remember-that-there-was-so-much-to-remember/) [Joyce Maynard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-maynard/) > [“I tried to think of what my father would tell me. 'Don't let any boy give you shit.' But he'd never said how we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-maynard/i-tried-to-think-of-what-my-father-would-tell-me-don-t-let-any-boy/) [Joyce Maynard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-maynard/) > [“It’s like life: sometimes the littlest thing turns out to be the most important.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-maynard/it-s-like-life-sometimes-the-littlest-thing-turns-out-to-be-the-most/) [Joyce Maynard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-maynard/) > [Growing up in the fifties and sixties, I can only remember knowing one child, ever, whose parents got a divorce, and hardly any whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-maynard/growing-up-in-the-fifties-and-sixties-i-can-only-remember-knowing-one/) [Joyce Maynard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-maynard/) > [“She was in love with love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-maynard/she-was-in-love-with-love/) [Joyce Maynard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-maynard/) > [I believe every one of us possesses a fundamental right to tell our own story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-maynard/i-believe-every-one-of-us-possesses-a-fundamental-right-to-tell-our/) [Joyce Maynard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-maynard/) > [I compromised my ability to tell my story, at the most basic level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-maynard/i-compromised-my-ability-to-tell-my-story-at-the-most-basic-level/) [Joyce Maynard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-maynard/) > [I have no doubt that over the years my children will find plenty of things about me to criticize. But something tells me that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-maynard/i-have-no-doubt-that-over-the-years-my-children-will-find-plenty-of/) [Joyce Maynard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-maynard/) > [I believed my story would be helpful to young women my daughter's age, who are still in the process of forming themselves as women,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-maynard/i-believed-my-story-would-be-helpful-to-young-women-my-daughter-s-age/) [Joyce Maynard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-maynard/) > [Not only did I avoid speaking of Salinger; I resisted thinking about him. I did not reread his letters to me. The experience had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-maynard/not-only-did-i-avoid-speaking-of-salinger-i-resisted-thinking-about/) [Joyce Maynard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-maynard/) > [When people ask what I write about, that's what I tell them: 'The drama of human relationships.' I'm not even close to running out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-maynard/when-people-ask-what-i-write-about-that-s-what-i-tell-them-the-drama/) [Joyce Maynard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-maynard/) > [“They seemed to arrive at some form of friendship. Maybe they were like a couple of weary soldiers who went through a war together,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-maynard/they-seemed-to-arrive-at-some-form-of-friendship-maybe-they-were-like/) [Joyce Maynard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-maynard/) > [In the event of an oxygen shortage on airplanes, mothers of young children are always reminded to put on their own oxygen mask first,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-maynard/in-the-event-of-an-oxygen-shortage-on-airplanes-mothers-of-young/) [Joyce Maynard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-maynard/) [Explore all 92 Joyce Maynard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-maynard/) ## More Able quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/) [Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/) > [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/) [Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/) > [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/) [Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/) > [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/) [Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/) > [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/) [Greg Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-perry/) > [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/) [Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) [Browse all 17,257 Able quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/able/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Teach a child to play solitaire, and she'll be able to entertain herself when there's no one around. Teach her tennis, and she'll know what to do when she's on a court. 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