As promised, we are continuing to look at our Guiding Principles, with the intention of sharing principles that guide us at school and hopefully you at home, as you support your child’s learning each day. Last week we explored the concept of place-based education and today we look at something that sounds the same, play-based education, but is quite different.

Our guiding principle states:

• we practice a play-based approach to facilitate learning opportunities for the children; we offer children ample time and opportunity to stretch their imaginations, problem-solve, and develop their social competency.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) defines play as:

Play is an important vehicle for developing self-regulation as well as for promoting language, cognition, and social competence. [Play] gives [children] opportunities to develop physical competence and enjoyment of the outdoors, understand and make sense of their world, interact with others, express and control emotions, develop their symbolic and problem-solving abilities, and practice emerging skills. (NAEYC 2009, 14)

Play seems so inherently natural, like breathing. For some children play arrives easily, for others it takes more work. But no matter the ease or challenge, play is the work of children. Children need to engage in play to figure out this complex world of ours and we believe in offering as many minutes, hours, days and weeks as needed to explore key concepts through play. We also want children and educators to enjoy play- to laugh, to smile, to delight. And yet, we also know play can make people feel mad or frustrated and that is okay too- it is all one big process.

When you are filling your days together over the next while, we invite you to think of each place you visit  in terms of play value. Sometimes we refer to this as ‘play affordance’.

A few examples of places:

What do you see in this photo?

I see– grass to lie in and gaze at clouds; grass to play hide n’ seek; grass to pull out and make potions; grass to put in our fingers and blow like a whistle; grass to pretend we are wizards that live on a green planet; grass that surrounds our castle; grass that is a home to insects and other animals; grass to tickle a cheek; grass that can compare to other green growth; dry grass turning into green grass. Play Affordance/Value= high

What do you see in this photo?

I see– a bench that is a fire engine; a bench that is a train; a bench to read a story; a bench to tell knock knock jokes; a bench to sing a song; a bench to stand up and try to see inside the owl nesting box; a bench to practice identifying the letters; a bench to snuggle close to someone; a bench to use like a table and count pebbles; a bench to make into a kitchen counter and make play food. Play Affordance/Value= high

What do you see in this photo?

I see– a place to hang a shelter tarp; a place to look for owl pellets; a place to play knights; a place to avoid the stinging nettle that grows alongside and learn about nettle; a place to collect sticks and sort by length; a place to lean on a tree and journal; a place to hold paper against the tree and use crayons to imprint the bark; a place to tell a spooky story; a place to sit and listen to blackbirds in the bushes nearby. Play Affordance/Value= high

As you look for play to hang out, ask yourself “What play value does this place offer?” Will it offer many open ended possibilities or is it fairly prescriptive and rigid? Try to seek out places that are the former and watch beautiful play emerge. Bring a book for yourself so you can be present but not hovering- keep an ear open but allow children freedom to play on their own. If they keep calling out to you, let them know you are also having some play time and will connect after. And dare I suggest, put your phones away- even for half an hour- unless you think the text or Instagram post might actually change the fate of thousands of lives that hour, put it away! Enjoy quiet moments for your child and yourself.

For inspiration, check out Megan Zeni’s work- an alumni TNNS parent, colleague and master educator.

With care and affection,

Emily & Kate