Don’t Forget to Play!

Any Physical Education teacher would love an article with the title, “Don’t Forget to Play”! After all, it’s how we spend our day. I always tell my family and friends that I have the best job in the world. Who wouldn’t want to spent the day with children as they do what they do best-PLAY!

I’m not sure who first coined the phrase, “Play is a child’s work” but think back to your own childhood. My siblings and I spent hours creating imaginative games where we could be spontaneous, create the unthinkable; maybe fail, and still try again. There were fewer opportunities for organized, competitive sports. We rode bikes, invented our own games and played until dark.

Don’t Forget to Play by Educational Consultant Andrew Miller, took the support of a child’s work to a whole new level-play in the classroom. Embrace for a second the concept that play for children is serious learning. I see my students grow in confidence, problem solve, and work through social issues during structured PE classes. Miller suggests using game-based learning during classroom instruction to foster additional play opportunities. He advises teachers to create labs or play learning centers where students have the opportunity to collaborate and tinker in the classroom. He also encourages teachers to play with their students. The bottom line is that our students are KIDS and because of that very fact they need to play.

As I read this article I found myself thinking about our classroom teachers at ESK. They already champion play experiences in their classrooms in so many different ways. From our middle school Claymation movies to the butterfly gardens in first grade, our students are given numerous venues to explore. Teachers plan STEM activities for their students and the foundation of our school is built on our Tribes Agreements.

Most PE teachers think of play in a physical sense of the word but it is also rooted in creativity and discovery. Play looks different at different ages. Just this very week I witnessed a group of three years olds create a play experience that made me smile. They wandered away from the structured PE activity and began removing the colored shapes from my cart. They placed them on the floor in a random order and began jumping from shape to shape. I could not have created a better activity had I planned it myself. I think that is what Andrew Miller is asking teachers to do-develop spaces for their students to brainstorm, problem solve/ explore, fail/retry and finally build something the group is pleased to share.

During this discovery they are learning more than any test score could measure.

As the new school year launches, it’s a great time for all of us to reap the joy that play brings. Whether we are teachers interacting with our students or parents engaging in free play with our children-WE SHOULD ALL REMEMBER TO PLAY!

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Today, we heard from ESK Lower School P.E. teacher Pansie Evans and her thoughts on the importance of play based on the recent article titled “Don’t Forget to Play!” from Edutopia.