WEBVTT 00:00:01.630 --> 00:00:05.370 Welcome back to the Forgotten ECE, the podcast 00:00:05.370 --> 00:00:07.910 that amplifies the voices of educators who work 00:00:07.910 --> 00:00:11.509 in spaces that are often overlooked. I know you 00:00:11.509 --> 00:00:14.269 know that, I know that you know what I'm talking 00:00:14.269 --> 00:00:17.949 about. I'm Jamie Wagler, your host, and today 00:00:17.949 --> 00:00:20.309 we're diving into the topic that is at the heart 00:00:20.309 --> 00:00:23.449 of every before and after school program. Obviously 00:00:23.449 --> 00:00:26.550 it's play. Now we all know that play is important. 00:00:26.710 --> 00:00:28.789 I know you know that play is important because 00:00:28.789 --> 00:00:30.629 you're in this field and you've done this before 00:00:30.629 --> 00:00:33.090 and you are not new here. If you are new here, 00:00:33.229 --> 00:00:35.630 play is important. What I want to ask you is 00:00:35.630 --> 00:00:38.899 what innovative play looks like? And how do we 00:00:38.899 --> 00:00:42.780 actually move beyond the quote unquote just free 00:00:42.780 --> 00:00:46.960 play and bring intention, engagement, and developmentally 00:00:46.960 --> 00:00:50.679 appropriate experiences into our programs? Guess 00:00:50.679 --> 00:00:52.119 what? That's what we're going to look at today. 00:00:52.479 --> 00:00:54.399 I'm going to break down some strategies that 00:00:54.399 --> 00:00:57.100 help children problem solve, build relationships, 00:00:57.259 --> 00:01:01.520 and explore new ideas. All. through play. And 00:01:01.520 --> 00:01:03.619 I'll be answering some of your questions at the 00:01:03.619 --> 00:01:11.780 end. So stay tuned. And thanks for joining. Welcome 00:01:11.780 --> 00:01:15.540 to the Forgotten ECE, the show where before and 00:01:15.540 --> 00:01:18.379 after school educators, summer camp and PD staff 00:01:18.379 --> 00:01:21.939 and CYWs have a place where they are seen, heard 00:01:21.939 --> 00:01:24.840 and valued. I'm your host, Jamie Wakeler, and 00:01:24.840 --> 00:01:35.159 I'm so excited you're here. Alright, let's start 00:01:35.159 --> 00:01:39.500 with a big question. Is free play enough? Free 00:01:39.500 --> 00:01:41.799 play is obviously crucial. You and I know that. 00:01:42.040 --> 00:01:45.480 It gives children autonomy, fosters creativity, 00:01:45.819 --> 00:01:49.079 and allows children to decompress after a structured 00:01:49.079 --> 00:01:52.140 school day. Oh my gosh, can you imagine sitting 00:01:52.140 --> 00:01:55.040 at that desk for eight hours? I can't. I cannot. 00:01:55.310 --> 00:01:58.510 I sit at a desk now and I have to get up constantly. 00:01:58.989 --> 00:02:00.870 Sometimes in before and after school programs, 00:02:01.409 --> 00:02:03.930 we rely on free play without putting thought 00:02:03.930 --> 00:02:06.769 or offering enough opportunities for a deeper 00:02:06.769 --> 00:02:09.569 engagement. So I thought we'd start this episode 00:02:09.569 --> 00:02:13.270 off with the difference between free play and 00:02:13.270 --> 00:02:15.610 purposeful play. So let's go back to the basics. 00:02:15.990 --> 00:02:19.830 Free play is child -led, it's spontaneous, and 00:02:19.830 --> 00:02:23.030 unstructured. Purposeful play is still child 00:02:23.030 --> 00:02:25.830 -centered, but guided by an educator's understanding 00:02:25.830 --> 00:02:29.270 of child development. So it's introducing materials 00:02:29.270 --> 00:02:32.409 or environments or prompts that enhance learning 00:02:32.409 --> 00:02:36.169 while keeping the play child -driven. So kind 00:02:36.169 --> 00:02:39.129 of break it down a little bit. For example, instead 00:02:39.129 --> 00:02:41.710 of just offering a pile of blocks and saying, 00:02:41.710 --> 00:02:45.159 go build something. You might say, can you create 00:02:45.159 --> 00:02:48.259 a bridge that holds this toy car? Or how tall 00:02:48.259 --> 00:02:50.419 can you make that tower before it falls? This 00:02:50.419 --> 00:02:54.599 small shift invites problem solving and experimentation 00:02:54.599 --> 00:02:57.060 without actually taking away the joy of play. 00:02:57.319 --> 00:02:58.879 And that's the last thing you want to do is take 00:02:58.879 --> 00:03:01.680 away that joy. The key is offering these meaningful 00:03:01.680 --> 00:03:04.219 invitations without over directing. Children 00:03:04.219 --> 00:03:06.500 still have ownership of their play, but you're 00:03:06.500 --> 00:03:08.400 giving them a spark to explore it a little bit 00:03:08.400 --> 00:03:10.430 deeper. I would love to hear what you think about 00:03:10.430 --> 00:03:13.330 this, so always feel free to send me a message 00:03:13.330 --> 00:03:17.789 or hit me up on Instagram or comment on Spotify. 00:03:18.009 --> 00:03:19.629 Can you comment on Spotify? I feel like you can. 00:03:19.889 --> 00:03:22.310 If not, Instagram is your safest choice. Okay, 00:03:22.469 --> 00:03:25.610 back to it. Sorry. One of my favorite ways to 00:03:25.610 --> 00:03:27.990 encourage creativity in play is actually using 00:03:27.990 --> 00:03:30.430 loose parts. Again, something you are familiar 00:03:30.430 --> 00:03:33.930 with. If you're not though, think of instead 00:03:33.930 --> 00:03:36.889 of a toy. that has one fixed purpose, that loose 00:03:36.889 --> 00:03:39.389 parts are materials that children can manipulate 00:03:39.389 --> 00:03:43.050 and combine and use in endless ways. For example, 00:03:43.250 --> 00:03:46.870 wooden blocks are great, corks, buttons, ooh, 00:03:47.009 --> 00:03:49.830 fabric scraps. I just had a parent not too long 00:03:49.830 --> 00:03:52.949 ago donate the fabric scraps from their child's 00:03:52.949 --> 00:03:55.909 dance class, is the right answer, their dance 00:03:55.909 --> 00:03:58.509 class, all the loose fabric parts, and we were 00:03:58.509 --> 00:04:00.430 teaching our school -agers how to sew today. 00:04:00.650 --> 00:04:03.349 Oh, PVC pipes, cardboard tubes, and recycled 00:04:03.349 --> 00:04:06.289 materials are good examples. Shells and stones 00:04:06.289 --> 00:04:09.069 and sticks and even pinecones. What's amazing 00:04:09.069 --> 00:04:12.629 is that loose parts naturally encourage collaboration 00:04:12.629 --> 00:04:15.830 and engineering and storytelling. You don't actually 00:04:15.830 --> 00:04:19.310 have to have expensive materials, just things 00:04:19.310 --> 00:04:22.129 that spark curiosity, which is important in today's 00:04:22.129 --> 00:04:25.569 world because we know that we are in a recession 00:04:25.569 --> 00:04:29.680 100 % or at least close to it. Okay, my next 00:04:29.680 --> 00:04:31.579 favorite thing I wanted to talk about was risky 00:04:31.579 --> 00:04:34.899 play. This term sometimes makes people nervous 00:04:34.899 --> 00:04:37.079 because everyone has their own comfort level 00:04:37.079 --> 00:04:39.779 when it comes to risky play. But it's not about 00:04:39.779 --> 00:04:42.519 danger. It's actually about helping kids push 00:04:42.519 --> 00:04:44.759 their limits in a safe and supportive way. Think 00:04:44.759 --> 00:04:47.120 about it in a way like this. Children need to 00:04:47.120 --> 00:04:49.699 climb and jump and experiment with balance to 00:04:49.699 --> 00:04:52.199 develop coordination and confidence. But in many 00:04:52.199 --> 00:04:54.639 programs we're seeing a decline in these opportunities 00:04:54.639 --> 00:04:57.079 due to safety concerns and the fear that their 00:04:57.079 --> 00:05:00.420 parents are going to get mad or our administration's 00:05:00.420 --> 00:05:02.829 not going to back us up. But I want you to start 00:05:02.829 --> 00:05:07.529 supporting risky play and ensure safety. So for 00:05:07.529 --> 00:05:09.910 starters, offer challenges instead of just a 00:05:09.910 --> 00:05:12.970 flat playground. Add some logs or tires. I love 00:05:12.970 --> 00:05:16.790 tires in the playground or balance beams to invite 00:05:16.790 --> 00:05:19.889 movement. Encouraging problem solving is another 00:05:19.889 --> 00:05:22.449 thing you can do. Like kids figure out how to 00:05:22.449 --> 00:05:24.790 climb safely instead of saying, be careful all 00:05:24.790 --> 00:05:26.769 the time. Please do not say, be careful. Be careful 00:05:26.769 --> 00:05:28.870 doesn't show that you believe children are competent 00:05:28.870 --> 00:05:32.399 and capable and able to do things. It shows that 00:05:32.399 --> 00:05:35.500 you're worried for them. Trust. Children's ability 00:05:35.500 --> 00:05:37.959 is the last thing that you can do. Kids are often 00:05:37.959 --> 00:05:41.019 more capable than we actually think or give them 00:05:41.019 --> 00:05:43.579 credit. And with proper supervision, they can 00:05:43.579 --> 00:05:45.500 assess their own limits. And that's exactly what 00:05:45.500 --> 00:05:48.019 Risky Play is doing is helping them assess their 00:05:48.019 --> 00:05:50.139 own limits and make the choices and decisions 00:05:50.139 --> 00:05:54.480 that they need to make. OK, next. STEM, science, 00:05:54.579 --> 00:05:57.399 technology, engineering, art and math can be 00:05:57.399 --> 00:06:00.610 woven into their play effortlessly. Science, 00:06:00.629 --> 00:06:03.009 such as creating potions with baking soda or 00:06:03.009 --> 00:06:06.310 vinegar, or outside in the sand, baking and adding 00:06:06.310 --> 00:06:08.750 stuff to your sandboxes. I say baking because 00:06:08.750 --> 00:06:11.269 I used to mix sand. The sand on top that was 00:06:11.269 --> 00:06:14.110 lighter, I would make it vanilla and the sand 00:06:14.110 --> 00:06:16.209 underneath that was darker or more clay -like, 00:06:16.370 --> 00:06:19.329 I would make it chocolate and mix pies as a child. 00:06:19.730 --> 00:06:22.779 Oh, I love getting dirty though. Alright, technology 00:06:22.779 --> 00:06:25.699 like introducing old keyboards or circuit boards 00:06:25.699 --> 00:06:27.540 into your dramatic play area. Let's show them 00:06:27.540 --> 00:06:30.100 to explore with them. Typewriters are amazing. 00:06:30.660 --> 00:06:33.459 Art offer unconventional materials like foil 00:06:33.459 --> 00:06:35.879 or sand or fabric. It doesn't always have to 00:06:35.879 --> 00:06:38.680 be markers. And then math. Turn everyday activities 00:06:38.680 --> 00:06:41.399 into playful math challenges like measuring ingredients 00:06:41.399 --> 00:06:43.779 in a mud kitchen, adding those measuring tapes, 00:06:44.399 --> 00:06:46.579 adding stuff into the water table and let your 00:06:46.579 --> 00:06:48.560 schoolagers play with water. Do they even have 00:06:48.560 --> 00:06:50.959 a water table? Get a water table or some sort 00:06:50.959 --> 00:06:53.019 of bucket that they can play and explore in water. 00:06:53.199 --> 00:06:55.060 It doesn't need to be separate activities though. 00:06:55.060 --> 00:06:57.720 They can naturally be integrated into how children 00:06:57.720 --> 00:06:59.959 explore and interact with their environment. 00:07:00.199 --> 00:07:03.339 And if you take away anything from today, please, 00:07:03.480 --> 00:07:06.740 please, please, please understand that using 00:07:06.740 --> 00:07:09.480 play can build social -emotional skills such 00:07:09.480 --> 00:07:12.980 as role -playing, problem -solving, and conflict 00:07:12.980 --> 00:07:15.790 resolution. One technique I actually love is 00:07:15.790 --> 00:07:18.990 the role play problem solving. So like if a conflict 00:07:18.990 --> 00:07:22.610 arises instead of just using usual words or say, 00:07:23.170 --> 00:07:25.649 what do you say? I actually want you to help 00:07:25.649 --> 00:07:28.110 the children act out solution using toys or puppets 00:07:28.110 --> 00:07:31.009 or even themselves. Let them see it firsthand. 00:07:31.230 --> 00:07:33.490 For example, if two children are arguing over 00:07:33.490 --> 00:07:35.649 a toy, you can say, let's pretend we're characters 00:07:35.649 --> 00:07:38.720 in a story. How can we solve this problem? It 00:07:38.720 --> 00:07:41.540 gives children a safe place to practice, emotions, 00:07:41.759 --> 00:07:44.879 negotiation, and empathy. Okay, so I actually 00:07:44.879 --> 00:07:47.759 got a couple questions when I was talking about 00:07:47.759 --> 00:07:49.459 this topic the last time. The first question 00:07:49.459 --> 00:07:52.139 was, how do I introduce loose parts play when 00:07:52.139 --> 00:07:55.000 kids are used to structured activities? Easy 00:07:55.000 --> 00:07:58.319 peasy. Start small. Maybe set up a mystery materials 00:07:58.319 --> 00:08:02.100 table and let children explore. Ask open -ended 00:08:02.100 --> 00:08:05.100 questions. What could this become? This will 00:08:05.100 --> 00:08:07.060 help spark their imagination. The next question 00:08:07.060 --> 00:08:08.660 was, what if parents are worried about risky 00:08:08.660 --> 00:08:10.920 play? Too bad. I'm just kidding. Please don't 00:08:10.920 --> 00:08:13.019 hold that against me. But communication is key. 00:08:13.300 --> 00:08:16.199 Explain the benefits. Tell your administrator 00:08:16.199 --> 00:08:18.040 that this is what you're doing and show them 00:08:18.040 --> 00:08:20.879 the benefits also. Having their support is so 00:08:20.879 --> 00:08:23.019 helpful. Talk about the benefits of climbing 00:08:23.019 --> 00:08:24.980 or bouncing and how it develops coordination 00:08:24.980 --> 00:08:27.720 and confidence and self -regulation. Show them 00:08:27.720 --> 00:08:29.579 success stories. You can find them on YouTube 00:08:29.579 --> 00:08:32.200 or the internet. TikTok could be your friend. 00:08:32.600 --> 00:08:34.639 I don't know if they actually do that, but it 00:08:34.639 --> 00:08:36.639 could work, I'm sure. And the last question I 00:08:36.639 --> 00:08:39.759 got was, how can I encourage kids who say, I'm 00:08:39.759 --> 00:08:43.080 bored, even when play options are available? 00:08:43.519 --> 00:08:46.259 Another fan favorite, because this happens in 00:08:46.259 --> 00:08:48.940 lots of programs. You got to shift the responsibility. 00:08:49.080 --> 00:08:51.159 Instead of suggesting activities, ask what would 00:08:51.159 --> 00:08:53.000 make it more fun? What's something new we could 00:08:53.000 --> 00:08:55.759 create? Sometimes boredom is just the spark we 00:08:55.759 --> 00:08:58.399 need to invent something amazing. Great things 00:08:58.399 --> 00:09:01.240 come from boredom. I know it was short and sweet. 00:09:01.519 --> 00:09:04.659 But I hope today's episode has given you new 00:09:04.659 --> 00:09:07.899 ways to think about play in your program. Remember, 00:09:08.340 --> 00:09:10.379 innovative play isn't about doing more. It's 00:09:10.379 --> 00:09:13.659 about creating opportunities for children to 00:09:13.659 --> 00:09:16.059 lead, explore, and grow. I do have a challenge 00:09:16.059 --> 00:09:18.200 for you this week. I want you to try one new 00:09:18.200 --> 00:09:21.039 play strategy, whether it's least parts or STEM 00:09:21.039 --> 00:09:23.399 or adding a little bit more risk in your play 00:09:23.399 --> 00:09:25.899 and let me know how it works, what happens and 00:09:25.899 --> 00:09:28.159 what you discover. Honestly, if you found this 00:09:28.159 --> 00:09:29.960 episode helpful, please share it with your fellow 00:09:29.960 --> 00:09:32.279 educators and leave a review. It helps others 00:09:32.279 --> 00:09:35.899 find this podcast for us, the Forgotten ECEs. 00:09:36.120 --> 00:09:39.679 Until next time, keep advocating and keep innovating. 00:09:39.860 --> 00:09:44.399 And I can't wait to hear from you soon. Thanks, 00:09:44.539 --> 00:09:49.639 everyone. Thank you. Amazing listeners for your 00:09:49.639 --> 00:09:51.919 support. Don't forget to follow me on Instagram 00:09:51.919 --> 00:09:55.320 at miss Jamie underscore R E C E. Give a star 00:09:55.320 --> 00:09:57.600 rating and leave a review. Have something you 00:09:57.600 --> 00:09:59.740 want to hear about in relation to before and 00:09:59.740 --> 00:10:01.940 after school programs or full day summer camp. 00:10:02.200 --> 00:10:05.259 DM me or comment. Again, thank you so much and 00:10:05.259 --> 00:10:05.919 happy learning.