And today we reach part three of my thinking on play spaces…if you missed one and two, you can find them on my website.
In Part Two, I talked about looking at the environment from the child’s point of view: what can they see? What can they reach? What draws them in?
But then there’s the question of what I actually put into the space.
And one of the things I spend a surprising amount of time doing when I prepare the room is editing myself.
I have a lot of wonderful and exciting things for children to play with (just check the cover photo for a small selection!).
I don’t put them all out.
Children don’t need everything at once, and I don’t want to overwhelm them with everything they could possibly want.
Instead, I think about the experience of the things I’m offering. What is the texture? What kind of sound does it make? How might it feel in the hands or in the mouth? What can children do with it?
Can they fill and dump? Stack? Move things around?
Sometimes small changes to an ordinary object can make a difference, too. For instance, parents often notice that my balls are a little under-inflated: that makes them easier to grasp. I may draw a scarf through a wiffle ball to keep it from rolling away.
I love to include bulky, but lightweight, things that children can move with their whole body…like a swim ring or a 2.5 gallon water bottle (which is also good for filling and dumping)…or a large metal serving bowl (which makes a great sound when you drop it or shake a bunch of mason jar rings in it).
For children who love to move their bodies, a heavy item, like an old milk jug filled with water (and hot glued closed), provides heft and a real challenge to maneuver. A collection of balls in box allows children to immerse themselves, feeling pressure all over their bodies.
Speaking of balls…there are always balls because children are always interested in movement.
But this is where the editing comes in.
I could put out every ball I own (and sometimes I do…). Every ring. Every container. Every interesting piece of recycling I’ve saved because I thought, “Oh! The children might do something with this!”
I don’t.
Magda said, “do less, observe more…enjoy most.”
But less also gives children a chance to actually notice what is there. To choose what to do next.
And I don’t completely change the room every time they come back, either: there is value in sameness.
Children return to things again and again. Something they barely noticed last week may become fascinating this week. Something they have already explored dozens of times may suddenly be used in an entirely different way.
So I might keep much of the space the same and add a couple of new things here and there.
As children get older and dramatic play begins to emerge, for example, I might add a few simple things: a baby doll, a coffee cup, a spoon, some simple dress-up clothes.
I want to give them the opportunity to pretend, but that doesn’t mean I need to give them an entire play kitchen.
A couple of cups and an empty pitcher may be enough. I don’t necessarily need to add the saucepan and the spatula and everything else that tells them what the play is supposed to be.
Sometimes parents ask me how I know what their child wants to play with.
And I think our uncertainty about that can make it tempting to put everything out. If we offer enough choices, surely something will be the right thing!
But we don’t actually have to know.
First, because Magda reminds us that a child will always find a way to play…in any environment.
And beyond that…we can simply observe.
If a child is really interested in filling and dumping, I can think about how to expand upon that.
If they’re interested in rings, I can offer different kinds of rings.
When I begin to see dramatic play, I start saving recycling, offering bottles or boxes or tins…not going to lie, I actually bought some tea I hated because I loved the tin. And a huge container of cheeseballs for the same reason! Before I recycle it, I try to imagine it in a child’s hand.
I watch.
I notice.
I edit.
I add something here or take something away there.
And then I watch some more.
Maybe that’s really the thread running through all three of these posts.
It isn’t about having the perfect play space. It isn’t about having the right toys. And it certainly isn’t about having more.
It’s about intentionality.
Creating a space for children to play and explore…and then leaving room for them to show us what they will do with it.
A space that, for a little while, wants nothing from them.
~Melani
PS
I want to give a little shout-out to a company I’ve been using for years: Half Price Laundry.
I discovered them during COVID, when I was teaching classes in the parks and had enormous loads of blankets and sheets to wash. I didn’t want to spend my time sitting in a laundromat, so I went looking for a pickup and delivery service…and stumbled upon these guys.
I love them.
I don’t need them nearly as often these days, but whenever I have a big load of laundry or anything bulky (after guests visit, or when my outdoor curtains need washing), they’re my go-to.
They pick up and deliver, usually within 24 hours, and they’re wonderfully attentive to preferences. For me, that means fragrance-free, hypoallergenic products.
They do have a referral program, but that’s not why I’m sharing them. I just think they’re terrific, and if you’ve ever wished someone would come take a mountain of laundry off your hands…well, here you go! (Tell Hank I said hi!) :)