Creative Play

Do you need to entertain kids for 30 or more minutes?  Here is the perfect solution.  I had some left over play dough from an art project earlier this year so I pulled that out for a recent creative staff.  Creative staff is when I invite my staff and their family to come in for an after hour art party.  Sometimes we create something specific, sometimes we just have a treat and play.  I had many stations set up, but this was by far the most popular.  I placed toothpicks and the primary color play dough at the table and told them they could play and build whatever they wanted.  They could even mix the play doughs.  I had kids from 3 years old to 5th grade playing at this station for no less than a half of an hour.  It allowed them to be creative and inventive.  It reminded me of a recent article I read about play from Ian Sands.  He explains, 

"Play is not an exercise. If the purpose of the lesson is for the student to discover a pre-determined result, the student is not truly playing."

I think that is something that is hard to give students time to do in class.  I'm starting to consider ways to do so, and starting with small groups such as my co workers kids.  I can see this idea developing into much more.