work to play.: Indescribably special

Today was the day we have been anticipating all week-- actually playing with kids! Myself and my two teammates constructed a play pocket themed “Bug City,” surrounded by pre-existing magical vines, a fort we made from nearby forest matter, and some structures that already looked like tiny creature homes. In the pocket, we had some bug costume objects, magnifying glasses and bug boxes. Our intention was to be as hands-off as possible and encourage free play, and we didn’t really know what to expect…

The third group of kids to enter (we had three 30-minute sections) was three kids: two boys and one girl, ages 6, 6, and 3. Before we could do anything to introduce the site, they quickly started to deconstruct the path to build a life-size teepee! They were swinging whole trees around to prop them against a huge pine at the corner of our pod, with enough space to scurry through... and then, suddenly, Bug City was under siege, being attacked by one of the kids and Sarah (my teammate), attacking another child and Kaitlyn (other teammate)—the good bugs, the playworkers’ roles having been assigned by the kids.

The way we participated in their play was the ideal free play situation. The children created the rules and roles of the game, and invited us to be part of it, assigning us roles. For the previous two groups, we were having trouble understanding our roles as free play workers. Like, in the first group, we stood on the edges or more out of the way and watched. The kids felt self-conscious and had trouble finding the objects we had planted in our site to afford exploration or imaginative play. They quickly ran out of stuff to do and were waiting for permission or instructions from us or the adults in their group. With the second group, we involved ourselves more, engaging with the kids so they were occupied with our provided environment for longer. But these kids were not free playing either, waiting for guidance from us or the adults. By allowing the third group of kids to define the space themselves, they felt free to invent the situation themselves, and use us as part of it.

But back to that third group... The youngest of the three children chose to dig in the dirt while the others invented the good bug- bad bug game, searching for worms or anything else living under ground. He was curious about what he might find, and began to discover some potential living space! As he dug, he asked me to help him dig, and to also look at what he was finding. After each couple of digs, he checked uncovered soil with a magnifying glass, passed it to me to look, and confirmed that he was certain there was something living in there.

Checking the hole!

Soon, though, the dramatic play surrounding him threw some of the warring bugs into jail (the fort), and he jumped in to free them with his special protective powers.

"You're free! I'm protecting you!"

However, once all were safe again, he returned to his digging and investigating. The ability of this young child to pass between focused investigation and involvement in the dramatic play throughout was incredible. And the imaginative power of all three children, as well as the clear role they wanted us playworkers to play in their game felt so right.

Also, the whole day was just plain fun. Playing with kiddos in the woods all day? OKAY.

Here's more play photos: