Click. Click. Click.
Looking through old classroom photographs, I am struck by how often I captured play.
Tall buildings.
Imaginary lands.
Towering structures.
Beautiful designs.
Camera in hand, I was drawn to the feelings in the room: contemplative planning, joyous giggles, cooperative negotiating.
I was also attracted simply by the results of play themselves.
The physical manifestations that resulted when there was time for play.
What was imagined?
How were invitations offered?
How did nature weave itself into stories?
I love that really I didn’t have much to do with it. My role was peace keeper but that wasn’t a full time gig. I could be observer. Walk around and notice. While the children played, I learned. Saw things in new ways.
Noticed the light.
Felt the community.
I was gifted with time to wonder.
It’s freeing to have no expectations of where things will go.
Then it’s all discovery. All impressive. All about risk taking.
Pure creativity without pre-imposed limits.
There is more and more research to support the benefits of play on the social emotional well being and cognitive development of our learners. In our quest for the most meaningful learning opportunities for our students, we need to make room for play.
I am participating in the Slice of Life challenge to write and publish a post every day in March.
Slice of Life is hosted by Two Writing Teachers. I thank them for the community they provide. Read more slices here.
There's a Book for That 
Wow what grade are they ?! I want to get some blocks for my room !
These photos were taken in my Grade 2/3 class but my 4s and 5s also use these Keva planks.
Hurrah for play. I did Genius Hour with my kiddos two years ago. They did a lot of building. Pure play. We need to see more of this in all of our elementary school classrooms.
I agree!
Love this post. Well said, and your photographs are beautiful!
Thank you!
Their outcomes ended up being pretty artistic, too.
I wish everyone valued that time. They really do need it.
So true.
Great pics. Great post.
Thanks!
I couldn’t agree more. I can also picture all of the images of play that I have captured over the years and the proud smiles behind the creations. Hooray for play!
Yes, so many proud smiles go along with the creations.
Thanks for this reminder of the value of play time. I usually try to squeeze play in on Fridays. Creativity emerges from play.
It really does.
In our early classrooms, it was a usual thing for the classes to build block cities. I know that my granddaughter was in charge of the theater building, and talked about all the things that were planned for it. One year this same teacher (whom many of my older students had had) took my class and led them through their own block city play. They loved it. I think that’s why it was always wonderful to see the older kids “play” in the outdoor times we had. They created so many ideas of things to do in deserts and forests and rainforests. I’m sorry that some don’t get the opportunity. It’s rather like dreaming, too.
I think we really need to be conscious of theses things we know are important – more time to be outside, to get physical activity and to play!
Gifted with time to play. Gifted with time to wonder. We just finished orders for next year. Many various block sets were on the list.
So pleased to hear this!
This is such an important post–not just about what our students need but about the approach we teachers need to take, at least sometimes, in our classes. We need to provide time and space without expectations of where we’re going. We so rarely do this in our classrooms. Instead, we tell students where we’re going, we take them there, and then we tell them where we’ve been–and we get dinged on our evaluations if we don’t. But the limited space of our certain expectations is not always the space where learning and growth happens. Thank you for this.
You are true – we too often provide the roadmap and the reflective questions and tour direct all along. Why I love standing back to watch!
I loved seeing the intricacy of this play – so much going on under the guise of play!
Yes, there always is!
There was a sense of play in your work as observer too.
So true – finding the beauty and fun in all that kids do and create.