Little Learning Grove

Wonderful words from We Schoolhouse: Playgrounds used to be places where adults sat back and children figured things out.

Now, if children are even getting to the playground regularly, many arrive with an adult narrating, directing, warning, correcting and scripting nearly every move.Childhood already contains far too little freedom. The playground shouldn’t become another adult-controlled environment.

“Go down this way.”
“Don’t climb that.”
“Wait.”
“Be careful.”
“Let them go first.”
“Say excuse me.”
“Use it properly.”

We have become deeply anxious about children’s play, and that anxiety is changing the experience entirely. The playground should be one of the few remaining places where children can move freely, make decisions, misjudge something, experience conflict, take a manageable risk and adjust without an adult immediately stepping in.

They need the child moving toward them from the opposite direction. The disagreement over whose turn it is. The uncertainty of whether they can make the climb. The moment they move too quickly, lose their footing or realize another child isn’t stopping.

This physical and social friction is critical. It develops body awareness, risk assessment, communication, negotiation, frustration tolerance, flexibility, judgment and self-preservation. These skills aren’t built by adults repeatedly explaining what children should do. They’re built through the experience of actually having to do it.

Yes, adults should remain present. Yes, we intervene when the risk exceeds a child’s ability to recognize or manage it. But present doesn’t have to mean intrusive.

Every direction we give removes a decision the child could have made. Every interaction we manage removes an opportunity they could have navigated. Every risk we eliminate removes feedback their body and brain needed.
We don’t need to disappear. We just need to sit back more, say less and stop assuming children require our involvement in every moment.

Let them climb. Let them pause. Let them negotiate. Let them get frustrated. Let them reconsider. Let them figure out what their bodies can do.

Phonemic awareness practice doesn’t have to be monotonous and dry! We made ramps and whatever letter our car landed on, we made the sound and brainstormed words that began and ended with each sound!

🏵️🧶🧡Autumn! Where are you! 🧡🟠🔶