by K.C. (Pre-3 Parent)
I have to admit that I was one of the people who walked in a bit late to this lecture, so I missed Anoo Padte‘s great introduction. In the hour I was there, I was reminded of why play is so important in the lives of our children.
Here are some key points I took away from the lecture outlining the importance of play, and how to create a space ripe with the opportunity for play.
– Allow time for play to occur without interruption or an agenda. Try not to over schedule your child with activities so they have an opportunity to explore their world through play. From time to time, try to set aside days where you have no agenda, and see where the day takes you.
– Provide a space with open-ended and scalable materials. These are things that don’t have just one way of working (i.e. puzzles), and their use can grow and change over time (blocks, mangatiles, dress up clothes, items from nature, vehicles, pipes, lego, play doh, toilet paper rolls, cardboard box, fabric, balls).
– Make materials easily accessible for your child. This could mean go out into the yard to discover what is outside.
– Connect with your child by entering their world. Get down low, observe what they are working on, ask questions.
– After keen observation over time, introduce materials that might compliment their play. In doing this, let go of the outcome, and do not allow your agenda to take over. We all learn through trial and error.
– Provide a safe place where they can save some of their work for playing later in the day, or the next day. This doesn’t mean you have an obstacle course of tiny lego in your living room! Allow them to choose one area that will be saved, and clean up the remainder so no one injures themselves.
– Instead of telling your child or children what you think, ask and wonder what they think.
As co-op members, we all have an opportunity to observe our children at play at school as well as at home. In this play, they are learning to problem solve, negotiate with their peers, and discover their bodies. They experience grace and power. Through all of this, they build resiliency as they try and try again until they succeed.
Happy Playing!