One of my favorite quotes from the Little Prince is: “All grown-ups were once children, but very few of them remember it.” Oh, for a day to just let children PLAY and be children!
Can’t we give them one day – just ONE day – that will give them a happy memory about school?
How do you make this happen? Personally, I would get my families and parent organizations involved. Administrators might listen to them more than to you or me.
Note! Even if your school won't do it for a full day, couldn't they at least let the kids play the last hour of the day?
Here are some other tips I learned from the globalschoolplayday.com website:
1. EDUCATE Remind parents and administrators about the benefits of play. (There are some good videos on the GSPD website.)
2. GET SOCIAL Use social media to encourage other schools to get involved. #GSPD2017.
3. CALL FOR TOYS Tell your students they can bring anything they want to school to play with on February 1st. (No electronic devices or toys with batteries!)
4. PLAY! NO SCREENS - NO STRUCTURE - ALL DAY LONG – INSIDE OR OUTSIDE
Don't organize
Don't tell them how to play
Don't interfere
5. SHARE AND REFLECT Share pictures, ideas, and reflections after the event. Encourage students to talk to their parents about the day and continue to PLAY at home.
Come on everybody! Let's all PLAY on February 1st!
