Today’s guest blogger Ben Cromwell is the Playworks Salt Lake City Program Associate. He is the author of the blog “Play works in SLC“, and he is constantly looking for new ways to play.
Sometimes play takes us in unexpected directions. A game of catch becomes a show of impressive leaps and diving catches. Tag morphs into Hide and Seek, then becomes imaginative play. The hider becomes a crook and the seekers the police. Or players find a hiding place so spectacular, it sparks a new story.
In short, playing a game is inherently, a creative exercise. When we play, we assume a role and interpret that role. Even in a simple game of Sharks and Minnows, players decide how to act. The shark may run fast or slow, dart left or right, wait or chase. The minnows can slow down and taunt the shark or play it safe and run. They can act as a group or strike out on their own. In some cases, a minnow may let the shark catch them so they can take on a new role.
Games demand that we act within a set of rules, but beyond that, players may do as they wish. If a kickball player wants to run the bases like a monkey, she can. If a four square player only wants to use only his left hand, that’s perfectly acceptable. Not only do we have the freedom to adapt our roles within a game, but games can favor players who experiment with their roles. The most successful wall ball player might not be the strongest or fastest, but the student who invents a new way to hit the ball, perhaps at an odd angle or by faking a huge hit and executing a smaller move, fooling her opponent. Games ask us to think strategically and that requires creativity.
Consider this story from Coach Raven at Stansbury Elementary in Salt Lake City:
Today at recess I had a random bucket of colorful bean bags. A first grade student grabbed the bucket and went over to the map of the United States painted on the playground. He started tossing the bean bags onto the states that were the same color as the bag. It attracted ten other students. As the students tossed the bags, I quizzed them on those states. It was a fun game and a great learning activity. I plan to continue putting out random equipment to see what the students invent!
This student didn’t just innovate within the rules of a game; he invented a completely new one. Coach Raven also molded the game by asking students to name the states. All the participants used creativity in their play by thinking in a new direction, inventing games and letting their curiosity and ingenuity shine.
