But first…PLAY!

But first…PLAY!

Our days here at Wonder & Awe Forest Play begin with PLAY! Depending on the day and the children, this PLAY may last 75 minutes or more. It is never less than 45 minutes. The PLAY looks different each day because the children decide. Our role is to provide the environment and the instruments and the children provide their imaginations.

Children, like adults, have stressors. Often those stressors are imposed upon them by the adults around them, almost always unknowingly. If you’ve had a morning that didn’t feel right, your children did too. This is why we PLAY first! PLAY allows the children to decompress, to settle in, to feel at ease with the other children in the program. PLAY gives their brains and bodies rest. PLAY is comforting. PLAY is an equalizer. PLAY is fun!

As the children PLAY, we observe. We notice their body movements, their speech and cadence, as well as their temperaments. As they become more settled, their PLAY either deepens or they decide to change it. If the time is right, we may offer an invitation to extend their PLAY. “I wonder what would happen if…”

Lessons or sharing ideas and concepts can only be introduced to a child when they are ready physically, mentally, and emotionally. PLAY allows children the time to become ready. As the children PLAY, they regulate themselves. PLAY gives the child voice. PLAY is necessary for the child. PLAY is important for the child.

PLAY is the child.

My invitation to you is to remember “But first…PLAY!” Try this at home before anything else. During those “tricky” times in your day, PLAY first! This might look like turning on the music and having a dance party in the kitchen, just before you eat or while you clean up from a meal. Bring the toys into the bathtub and let them PLAY before they wash up! Before you go grocery shopping or any other task, check out a nearby park and PLAY first! As you begin to do this, it might feel a bit awkward, but you will notice a difference in your children for the better!