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Thanks for this great article Vanessa!

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Research shows that when the brain's reward pathway is activated (by having fun!), adults with ADHD can pay attention for longer periods of time. Learn why leisure is healthy, and working all the time is not.

Play was not always a part of my life as an adult. Like many people with ADHD, I developed a habit of working six or seven days a week. I don't work full time each day, but I was in front of my computer working on a project or task most days. The more I worked, the longer tasks seemed to take. I felt I had to "stick with it" until I had reached the end goal.

Fun was on my mind a lot, but I wound up playing very little. I was serious, productive, and stressed out. I had a serious lack of dopamine, leading to less self-regulation, perseverance, planning, organization, stress tolerance, problem-solving skills, memory, focus, and attention.

Play Equals More Dopamine

Research has shown that there is a deficit in the function of the dopamine reward pathways in individuals who have ADHD. This means we are less engaged by activities that are not inherently rewarding or reinforcing. When the reward pathway is activated (say, by having fun), people with ADHD can pay attention for longer periods of time. And that feels great.

This explains why stimulant medications make a task seem more rewarding or exciting to individuals with ADHD. If you take a prescribed medication, you see otherwise boring tasks as more interesting. This is also why play is an effective way to manage the symptoms of ADHD. When we are engaged in pleasurable activity, more dopamine is released in our brain.

In the past four years, "play" has become a bigger part of my life. What others see as routine, uninteresting events, I look at with curiosity. I pay attention to what is amusing, playful, or fun. As a result, I find myself in a better mood, more inspired by things around me, more resilient and productive, and a happier person.
[Free Resource: Your Guide to Alternative ADHD Treatment]
Are You Running on Empty?

Think about when ADHD challenges tend to show up in your life. Do you notice a pattern? When do you struggle with focus and attention most? When do you have problems with motivation and sustaining effort? When do you tend to be moody? When you are engaged in difficult, mundane tasks, distractibility, procrastination, inattention, or hyperactivity are likely to be most apparent.

Now think of a time when you totally rocked, a time when you were a superstar! You were on time, in the groove, at the top of your game. I bet that you were doing something you are good at, that you enjoy, with people you like (or alone), you were in a good mood, and maybe you were having fun.

When you are in the groove, your brain is awash with dopamine, and the symptoms that you have struggled with can be your greatest asset. For instance, what presents as impulsivity in one instance makes you spontaneous, creative, and able to take a risk in a crisis. A great way to "manage" ADHD is to design a life that keeps you interested and engaged - and your dopamine flowing.

There are many ways to play, and most people have activities they prefer and ways of doing things that light them up. How do you know what these are?
[Squirrel Bingo: The Feel-Good Game Our Readers Love]
1. Recall in detail how you enjoyed playing as a kid, whether it was riding a bike, baking a cake, creating a work of art, or acting in a play. Most adults find that the way they played as kids is how they like to play now.

2. Think of the people you most love to enjoy time and activities with. What is it about them that you enjoy? What activities do you do that are fun?

3. Faced with a boring task? What would make it "funner"? Sometimes doing a fun activity before doing the mundane task can make the boring task a bit easier (make sure to set a timer on the fun task, so you don't forget to get the work done). Sometimes you can make the task into a party by turning on some music and inviting other people to join in. Racing the clock can turn a short task into a game. Working in a novel or unusual setting (pay your bills in the bathtub) can make the task more amusing. My personal standby is dressing up in a favorite hat or piece of clothing.

No matter what, make a plan to play: Write it down, commit the time, and share your play with a likeminded friend or community.
[Take the "Boring" Out of Chores]

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Research shows that when the brain's reward pathway is activated (by having fun!), adults with ADHD can pay attention for longer periods of time. Learn why leisure is healthy, and working all the time is not. Play was not always a part of my life as an adult.

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This video made me think a lot about learning we did in a fine arts meeting ages ago about the SAMR model (I think we looked at it as a pyramid) of technology integration in the classroom.  Basically, there are four levels.  Substitution, where you're just using tech instead of something else (like an e-reader instead of a book); augmentation, where the tech adds some functionality (using a shared folder);  modification, where the technology really changes the task (like collaborative work in google docs); and redefinition, where the task wouldn't be possible without technology (creating a podcast or a video game).  When I think about my use of technology in the classroom, it is very often substitution or augmentation.  The video was a good reminder that if I don't have a good reason why I'm using technology, then I should reconsider its use in the classroom.

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Access videos, whitepapers, eBooks, webinars, blogs, infographics, case studies, demos and more in our resource hub to support your success.

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Oh man, I had a lengthy post going and I somehow deleted it! :(  Maybe it's my sign to be more concise.

Anyhow, I am wondering if our discussion as a school is about screen time in general or just non-academic screen time?

Also, this has been the year of "peer conflict" for many of the boys in my classroom.  Several of the boys who are having these repeated issues are big time Fortnite players. I can't help but wonder if there's a connection there!  It also makes me kinda sad when students are making connections to what we're learning in class and they refer to something they've seen on YouTube.

One celebration is that my class's Friday free time is now spent outside instead of on iPads since the weather is nice!  Wondering how I can modify Friday PLAY time all year long next year...

Lastly, I'm excited to see how screen-free summer school goes!

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Just watched the Tim Brown video. It reminded me of several things that have happened in my classroom. First, summer school! 3rd grade Brick Lab allows for a lot of free building time. I saw so much creativity from students during this time. Students wanted to save projects over the course of summer school to play with again and again. I have a craft supply cabinet in my classroom. Around Christmastime, the kids raided this cabinet and worked together on self-guided projects. One group built this amazing sleigh out of cardboard. I remember being so impressed by their ability to take a box and turn it into a model! Lastly, several in my group this year have really loved playing "school." It's so fun to listen to them pretend to be teachers -- to hear what strategies they use for their own "class" that maybe I use for them! However, Tim Brown mentions that play has rules. That was a downfall to the "teacher/school" role play game. This form of play would often end in disagreements between kids because someone didn't do something a certain way - or because they all wanted a turn to be "teacher."

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I have been reflecting on how I use technology in my room since we had the first "play" conversation.  I can definitely see a correlation between some of my students who really get attached to opportunities we could use iPads in our classroom and lack of self-control, ability to empathize, and shorter attention spans. Similarly to what other people have said, we can't control how technology is used at home but it is definitely a goal of mine to try to limit those opportunities for learning activities at school.

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I have been reflecting on how I use technology in my room since we had the first "play" conversation.  I can definitely see a correlation between some of my students who really get attached to opportunities we could use iPads in our classroom and lack of self-control, ability to empathize, and shorter attention spans. Similarly to what other people have said, we can't control how technology is used at home but it is definitely a goal of mine to try to limit those opportunities for learning activities at school.

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This is so interesting but not surprising.  I teach in a setting where we don't use a lot of technology and screen time and while I could use iPads in stations I try to avoid it.  Our world now revolves around technology so finding that balance between what they need to know and what is too much screen time would be interesting to look more into.

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I agree with what everyone else is saying. I like technology because we can use it to teach a lot of things in different ways but the side effects and behaviorally issues that surround technology are widely seen.  I do use iPads in my classroom a bit as rewards to get them to stay focused, however, I will also have them play board games and build things without warning to help with the social skills with peers along with the skills about how to act when hearing the word "no".  It seems that the addiction that surrounds technology and huge behaviors occur when time is over is increasing. However, they only way to overcome these behaviors are to practice. I do think that kids would benefit from more group play or exercise type rather than the fast paced technology to stay calm.

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That video definitely makes sense and I can see those things in some students. It made me think about the usage of ipads in my room and how I can limit that, they don't get a lot of Ipad time with me however during free choice time I sometimes suggest we go out for an extra recess and I have a few kids that would rather stay in and play Ipads. I also encourage other play during this time such as building blocks so they can work on those skills that they need. I do have some boys that would rather build than do I pads.

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I love that we are having this conversation because it makes me think critically about iPad usage in my classroom. I'm thinking about the "why" for being 1-to-1 iPads in 3rd grade. It does provide many opportunities to enrich learning but it can easily turn into an engagement tool rather than a learning tool. The video mentions that screen time negatively affects executive function skills. It made me wonder how iPads are impacting the work that we are doing in our classrooms to teach those
skills.

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Wow I am not surprised at all that screen time is affecting us and kids that much but it's pretty powerful to hear the stats like that! My kinders only get about 10-15 minutes a day of screen time with Epic books at literacy stations or ST Math at math stations. I always have kids trying to download subway surfer or watching minecraft videos so being able to lock them into my chosen app through apple classroom has been life changing. I think kids need to play during play time but there's also a benefit to using iPads in structured and short segments.

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Like everyone is saying, this is so interesting but not surprising in that we know the amount of screen time is having negative effects (affects?). I'm also interested in how this specifically applies to sped kids. SO MANY of our kids only want reinforcement by using the iPad, even when other choices are offered. Many sped students are already lacking in empathy, social skills, and attention and their amount of screen time is compounding the problems that already exist. My guess is parents of sped kids have extra stressors and they may be more difficult to keep calm or quiet at home, so screen time is always the answer; it gives parents a break. Which I get! But at school need to figure out "better" reinforcement options and start to think about taking iPad out as a break option. And I like what Heidi said about getting some of this info to parents to try to get them to partner with us in this work.

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This is right along the lines of some interesting conversations I've been having with other parents, friends and colleagues. Over the years, I've definitely seen a decrease in students' attention spans. It becomes increasingly difficult for them to focus on one thing or maintain a stream of thought for more than a few minutes. Some of that is developmental, but I agree that screen time plays a huge part. The addictive properties of so much screen time really help explain why so many kids have meltdowns when their Ipads are taken away. In my home, my 15-year-old daughter would rather go on a diet of bread and water for a month than to lose cell phone privileges for a week! It was interesting to hear about the lack of empathy that results from too much screen time. It's easy to see how society at large has become desensitized to violence and suffering. I am all for limiting screens at school. We can't control what goes on at home, and I don't think that we need to completely expel Ipads, etc. But setting some tighter expectations about when screens are used, I believe, will yield some very positive results. In my summer program, where I teach rising 7th graders, it got so bad last year that I "banned" cell phones during instructional hours. They threw a fit at first, of course, but by day two, they were having the best conversations, using their imaginations, being creative and problem solving in amazing ways. It got to a point where they came right in and turned in devices before I even asked! Results from the anonymous survey that I gave showed that the overwhelming majority of my kids appreciated media break.

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No surprises in this article. I  think we all are aware too much or poor quality screen time has been associated with obesity, Irregular sleep patterns, loss of social skills, and video games promote more violence. I have observed parents with small children as young as two playing on parents phones to keep them quiet. We use ipads for ST Math, literacy stations, and free choice at the end of the day.  

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No surprises in this article. I  think we all are aware too much or poor quality screen time has been associated with obesity, Irregular sleep patterns, loss of social skills, and video games promote more violence. I have observed parents with small children as young as two playing on parents phones to keep them quiet. We use ipads for ST Math, literacy stations, and free choice at the end of the day.  

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Starting a conversation about screentime

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Crazy affects of Screen time on your Brain

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Sorry I know I am late to post! When I think back to playing as child I always loved games like kickball and capture the flag. I would spend hours outside with the neighbors playing those games after school and on the weekend. Now, students spend their time "playing" online through video games. Because we can't control what students are doing outside of school of I love the idea of bringing more play into the classroom! I love the idea of starting with electronic free free-time.

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This might be in your future!

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I'm glad that we are revisiting the importance of play.  Children learn so many  important social skills through play.  They expand their thinking and problem solving through play.  When I ask many of my students what they did over the weekend, a typical answer is that they played on some sort of electronic device. They are not getting enough opportunities for creative play.   I agree with the posts that mentioned  indoor recess time would be one opportunity to bring more play back into the school day. 

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I'm glad that we are revisiting the importance of play.  Children learn so many  important social skills through play.  They expand their thinking and problem solving through play.  When I ask many of my students what they did over the weekend, a typical answer is that they played on some sort of electronic device. They are not getting enough opportunities for creative play.   I agree with the posts that mentioned  indoor recess time would be one opportunity to bring more play back into the school day. 

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So, I loved reading all of your posts! I am so excited that everyone seems so excited about this journey in play that we are starting! I think that kids will be too! Today, I was really tempted to just let kids get on iPads today for free choice at the end of the day for convenience sake. I can get behavior sheets organized and do other teacher busy work when students do that. Instead, Cat and I told them that iPads were not a choice today. There definitely were some tears and screams of disappointment at first, but by the end of free choice everyone was playing together and laughing. This is really important work, and I am glad I get to be a part of it with all of you! 

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So, I loved reading all of your posts! I am so excited that everyone seems so excited about this journey in play that we are starting! I think that kids will be too! Today, I was really tempted to just let kids get on iPads today for free choice at the end of the day for convenience sake. I can get behavior sheets organized and do other teacher busy work when students do that. Instead, Cat and I told them that iPads were not a choice today. There definitely were some tears and screams of disappointment at first, but by the end of free choice everyone was playing together and laughing. This is really important work, and I am glad I get to be a part of it with all of you! 

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I say bring back the play!  We live in a world so controlled by time, objectives and constant communication that the idea of real imaginative play has become a foreign concept to kids.  We've had a few opportunities to build it into our day through makerspace, PLTW and various projects...but it always seems to have a learning objective attached.  During these never ending indoor recess days, while most kiddos use their ipads, groups of students still choose to use the giant tub of BrickLab bricks and recess games we have in the classroom.  They work together to create elaborate masterpieces - houses for their little people to live in, giant spaceships, etc.  This free build and free play is a type of exploration that every kid needs at some point.  

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I say bring back the play!  We live in a world so controlled by time, objectives and constant communication that the idea of real imaginative play has become a foreign concept to kids.  We've had a few opportunities to build it into our day through makerspace, PLTW and various projects...but it always seems to have a learning objective attached.  During these never ending indoor recess days, while most kiddos use their ipads, groups of students still choose to use the giant tub of BrickLab bricks and recess games we have in the classroom.  They work together to create elaborate masterpieces - houses for their little people to live in, giant spaceships, etc.  This free build and free play is a type of exploration that every kid needs at some point.  

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The idea of including play is fun and new to me. In school, play is not something taught as a component to teaching. It is seen as something done in kindergarten. Watching the videos of the support of child development through play made me eager to brainstorm ideas on how to include into my classroom. I love Nichole's idea of a school wide Play Friday. I even thought about how I can use Friday's in my own classroom focused around play through the academics taught. Practically, brain breaks would be an easily place to incorporate games to turn it into a play break. Watching the videos and reading the other posts made me excited to incorporate play into my classroom.

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Kelly - I want a copy of Sittercize!!  Controlled exercise sounds perfect for my kids!  Lol!  Everyone has amazing ideas/comments.  I was just looking at playful ways to teach "shadows" while enjoying some time outside.  So, possibly Friday of this week you may see some evidence of "Shadow Art" on our sidewalks!  I'm not sure I agree with play, defined as purposelessness;  why can't it be purposeful-fun?!  I think sometimes it's easier to let go...for a purpose!  I also love Emily's ideas and Candace's mention of handshakes/jives.  I just recently taught one of my students, a clapping chant, just for fun!  It's silly and I think we both laugh every time we do it!  :)  Fun for no reason at all?  At school?!  Wow, our kids are super lucky!!

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I agree with Bonnie's comment on the limitations that we face as interventionists. I often feel so driven by the clock, schedules (other people's and my own), that it's always a challenge to find time to just allow time for play. I usually try to visit students during parties and free time; they are always happy to see that I'm just there to hang out. This week, I started doing some hand games with kids as we wait for our group to arrive for iLearn. I grew up playing Miss Mary Mack and doing a variety of hand-jives. In addition to play, it also works on hand-eye coordination, attention, memory and a variety of skills that our i-Gen kids are lacking. (Loved that video, Emily!) I can absolutely relate to Tim Brown's comments on embarrassment. I think waaaay too much of myself with the notion that anyone else is paying attention to or cares about how silly I do or don't look! I too often find myself concerned about whether or not people are judging or evaluating me, especially at work.

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After watching the videos, one of the things that stood out to me was what Tim Brown said about judgement of peers. He said that adults fear the judgement of their peers which can lead to embarrassment about sharing ideas. However, kids don’t have that embarrassment. Whatever creations they make they are very proud to share them. I see this throughout their free choice time in my room! No matter how creative their inventions are they all like to share them with each other. Brown then continues on to say that, as they grow up, they start to have this embarrassment of sharing their ideas. Kids who feel secure feel most free to play. This last quote reminded me a video I have watched in one of my grad classes. This video discusses companies that allow for some sort of play. The video specifically talks about a company in Australia that uses this (minutes 5:40-6:45).

*The whole video is a great video to watch! 😊

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Behavioral Economics of Intrinsic Motivation

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How Motivation is Driven by Purpose - and not Monetary Incentives

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A study showed that monetary incentives are great for routine, mechanical work. But how does it play when talking about cognitive, advanced tasks? Not well at all. Watch this supercool animation and get a better understanding on how the labor force will react in 5 to 10 years.

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I also like Nichole's idea. I think the kids would love that. At the beginning of the year my kids always asked when is free choice time because they had it in kindergarten, and I would have to say sorry we don't have that in first grade. Since we have incorporated a free choice time in first grade, it has made an impact on them. They really love that part of our day and it is nice to see them being able to be kids and get to take a little break from academics to create and play together. I also agree with Tara in that at indoor recess I usually just let them watch a movie but I think I should start letting them build or play with the free choice items during this time as well.

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I would love to incorporate more play into our classroom!   He mentioned how important it is to portray our classrooms as a safe place for all to take risks.  I have to agree.   I think that we, as teachers, can help create this environment by being willing to take risks ourselves.   I have found that students appreciate it when teachers/adults choose to be vulnerable and try something that might be "out of our comfort zone."   There are so many ways students can creatively show their learning.  One of our most recent additions to our classroom is our read aloud choice board.  On this board, students are encouraged to be creative in various ways.   Our current choice board has nine different options that go along with our read aloud, "Number the Stars."  Options range from designing a symbol that represents their beliefs (ties in with The Star of David in the text) to creating a false identity for a friend who is trying to escape persecution (another tie in to the text).  I would like to incorporate more group play into our classroom.   I envision some role playing and self-selected #worldchanger projects in our near future.  I would also like to begin launching some unit-themed classroom transformations.  I read a book this summer, "The Wild Card" by Hope and Wade King. It was written by teachers who work at the Ron Clark Academy.   They wrote about how powerful their classroom transformations have been.  I am all about having fun at "work."  Anyone up for transforming their classroom with me?  

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I would love to incorporate more play into our classroom!   He mentioned how important it is to portray our classrooms as a safe place for all to take risks.  I have to agree.   I think that we, as teachers, can help create this environment by being willing to take risks ourselves.   I have found that students appreciate it when teachers/adults choose to be vulnerable and try something that might be "out of our comfort zone."   There are so many ways students can creatively show their learning.  One of our most recent additions to our classroom is our read aloud choice board.  On this board, students are encouraged to be creative in various ways.   Our current choice board has nine different options that go along with our read aloud, "Number the Stars."  Options range from designing a symbol that represents their beliefs (ties in with The Star of David in the text) to creating a false identity for a friend who is trying to escape persecution (another tie in to the text).  I would like to incorporate more group play into our classroom.   I envision some role playing and self-selected #worldchanger projects in our near future.  I would also like to begin launching some unit-themed classroom transformations.  I read a book this summer, "The Wild Card" by Hope and Wade King. It was written by teachers who work at the Ron Clark Academy.   They wrote about how powerful their classroom transformations have been.  I am all about having fun at "work."  Anyone up for transforming their classroom with me?  

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One of the drawbacks of the role of an interventionist is that there are very few opportunities for play.  
A key idea in his talk was that trust is involved for the three types of play to happen.  This is important to note.  Do our kids trust us?  Do they trust their peers?  Wouldn't it be interesting to see what would happen if we incorporated exploration, building and role playing more at school?  Does anyone have ideas to incorporate any of these in individual classrooms until a larger plan is developed?  I'd like to try the circles activity and would like more like that one.

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One of the drawbacks of the role of an interventionist is that there are very few opportunities for play.  
A key idea in his talk was that trust is involved for the three types of play to happen.  This is important to note.  Do our kids trust us?  Do they trust their peers?  Wouldn't it be interesting to see what would happen if we incorporated exploration, building and role playing more at school?  Does anyone have ideas to incorporate any of these in individual classrooms until a larger plan is developed?  I'd like to try the circles activity and would like more like that one.

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Currently I use role playing sometimes during my social skills group. We practice things like how to ask to share an object, how to join other kids playing at recess, how to ask for help, etc. We also play board games to practice turn-taking, being a good winner and a good loser, etc. I thought it was interesting in the video when he said that kids are more engaged with more open opportunities...I'm wondering how else I can incorporate those types of play into sped. I often feel like I have to do academics because I have to "catch them up" and I have them for such a short amount of time. I did like the 30 circles activity...I'd be curious how my kids would do with that.

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Missing social/emotional skills due to lack of play

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Missing social/emotional skills due to lack of play

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I love Nichole's idea. I think that because people are pushing academics developmental appropriate play is being pushed to the back. Play is very important to teach social/emotional skills on top of getting some wiggles and energy out. I would love if we could implement more electronic free play days. I do agree with Tara about how unstructured play may cause a lot of problems because they are missing those skills but hopefully in the long run it would pay off. I know last year in my social skills groups we played board games a lot to foster those skills that are missing and in the beginning it was a lot of disregulation and fights. However, it did get better the more we practiced. In the video I really enjoyed Jane Goodall's link to other animals experiencing play and that it fosters a sense of community and safety in the pack. I think a lot of people think that play is just something that kids do and do not see the true benefits or science behind it. If more people can link it to higher thinking mammals to show the natural benefits I think more parents and adults in power will agree with the benefits.

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Play is the foundation for everything we do the Art room. We explore many different materials and points of focus through play. When I demonstrate either a technique, material, or subject, I can see their wheels turning imagining themselves mirroring my hands. This is the script I give them for role play so they all feel secure to play. They are then able to take my lecture/ demonstration and interpret into their product by "thinking with their hands".

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Having an early childhood degree from the 80’s I feel play is essential for the young child. I feel we have moved away from this approach, I love that we are thinking about this as a staff. When children are given a chance to initiate play and exploratory learning, they become highly skilled in the art of self-education and self-regulation. Young children work hard at play. They invent scenes and stories, solve problems, and work on social skills. They know what they want to do and work hard at getting their mission accomplished. I love this! 😊 I love Nichole's ideas also!

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Having an early childhood degree from the 80’s I feel play is essential for the young child. I feel we have moved away from this approach, I love that we are thinking about this as a staff. When children are given a chance to initiate play and exploratory learning, they become highly skilled in the art of self-education and self-regulation. Young children work hard at play. They invent scenes and stories, solve problems, and work on social skills. They know what they want to do and work hard at getting their mission accomplished. I love this! 😊 I love Nichole's ideas also!

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Is there a way to respond to other comments?  Haha!  Just trying to figure this thing out.  Anyway, there are so many comments from our amazing colleagues that I would like to respond to.  I agree with Tara when worry sets in when providing more opportunity to play in our day.  Even though, I know they need it desperately!  It is not the most comfortable feeling to invite a sense of chaos into the classroom. I would love to see an additional recess time for our kids.  I know some of the younger grades have two, but I think they all need more unrestricted time to play.  
I feel that the way our kids play "these days" is so different, than how I played.  I see this when my 10 year old is playing Fortnite.  When I try to kick him outside to play, he responds "but I am playing with my friends."  Ugh. 
 

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Is there a way to respond to other comments?  Haha!  Just trying to figure this thing out.  Anyway, there are so many comments from our amazing colleagues that I would like to respond to.  I agree with Tara when worry sets in when providing more opportunity to play in our day.  Even though, I know they need it desperately!  It is not the most comfortable feeling to invite a sense of chaos into the classroom. I would love to see an additional recess time for our kids.  I know some of the younger grades have two, but I think they all need more unrestricted time to play.  
I feel that the way our kids play "these days" is so different, than how I played.  I see this when my 10 year old is playing Fortnite.  When I try to kick him outside to play, he responds "but I am playing with my friends."  Ugh. 
 

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One of my favorite ways to use play in the music room is through hand clapping games.  It builds connections between students, is a huge part of children's culture around the world, and is a fun, playful challenge for kids and adults.  The documentary "Let's Get the Rhythm" is a really fantastic one on this topic-let me know if you'd like me to share it with you.  Also, I have a huge repertoire of great hand games for K-5, let me know if you'd like me to teach any to you or your kids!

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One of my favorite ways to use play in the music room is through hand clapping games.  It builds connections between students, is a huge part of children's culture around the world, and is a fun, playful challenge for kids and adults.  The documentary "Let's Get the Rhythm" is a really fantastic one on this topic-let me know if you'd like me to share it with you.  Also, I have a huge repertoire of great hand games for K-5, let me know if you'd like me to teach any to you or your kids!

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After watching the videos, I immediately thought of makerspace for upper elementary students. It's really the only opportunity they have right now to have unstructured play and choice in what they play/create. Thinking about how excited they get when they see makerspace on our schedule, I could see the benefit of providing more opportunities for play in the classroom.

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Reflecting on the videos and my teaching practices makes me want to refocus my lesson planning/teaching in a couple of ways:
1) How can I incorporate a playful attitude into the things I already do?  Much of our music curriculum is already play based (which is why I LOVE teaching elementary music) but many other things I do could be enhanced by changing my attitude from "this is our work today" to "this is our play today".
2) How do I make my space a place that brings joy?
3) Teaching music is often about teaching culture.  How do I incorporate the culture of children and the things that they love and value into my daily lessons?

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Reflecting on the videos and my teaching practices makes me want to refocus my lesson planning/teaching in a couple of ways:
1) How can I incorporate a playful attitude into the things I already do?  Much of our music curriculum is already play based (which is why I LOVE teaching elementary music) but many other things I do could be enhanced by changing my attitude from "this is our work today" to "this is our play today".
2) How do I make my space a place that brings joy?
3) Teaching music is often about teaching culture.  How do I incorporate the culture of children and the things that they love and value into my daily lessons?

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After watching a couple of the videos, I tried to reflect a little on what I have done this year to help incorporate play. Instead, I realized that many opportunities that we get during indoor recess time or brain breaks, I have used some sort of technology to replace an opportunity I could include unstructured play activities. I think part of my apprehension to include more play is the worry that the social skills some of my kids lack would interfere on a time that is supposed to elicit happiness and creativity. After learning about how it is proven that play is likely to develop empathy, optimism, and flexibility in my kids I am more excited to incorporate more opportunities my kids can enjoy a more creative, playful time during the day.

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After watching a couple of the videos, I tried to reflect a little on what I have done this year to help incorporate play. Instead, I realized that many opportunities that we get during indoor recess time or brain breaks, I have used some sort of technology to replace an opportunity I could include unstructured play activities. I think part of my apprehension to include more play is the worry that the social skills some of my kids lack would interfere on a time that is supposed to elicit happiness and creativity. After learning about how it is proven that play is likely to develop empathy, optimism, and flexibility in my kids I am more excited to incorporate more opportunities my kids can enjoy a more creative, playful time during the day.

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I agree with Heidi's posts. This video made me think of the type of play that happens outside of the actual classroom each day. For example, the freedom that comes at recess and how that can be hard for some of my kids. Recess allows for opportunities to teach students how to handle certain emotional regulation and flexibility skills that they might not have yet. I think this idea of providing play in our classroom allows us to be an example of how to handle conflict and be an example for our kids and teach them how to interact without a super structured time is a great idea Nichole!!! And also being apart of the play.

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I love Nichole's idea of starting the day with play every once in a while! Free choice time in kindergarten is so vitally important but there's a ton of research on the effects of having that time in the morning to start their day before typical learning blocks take place. Not sure if we're ready to try that each day but I'd be curious to see how it affects the focus of my kindergartners throughout the day.

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I'm trying to drag and drop my post, but it won't "stick!"

I wish there was a way we could directly reply to other people's posts!

I love Nichole's idea!!

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I love the idea of introducing more play for our students. Developmentally, it is very appropriate. I picture a monthly Play Friday from 8-8:50. It would be so great if we could find a flexible way to let students choose from makerspace, activities in the gym, board games in classrooms, crafts, outdoor recess, etc. The most important part would be making sure as adults we also play instead of just supervising. It would be interesting to see if on those days, we had improved attendance/tardy rates as well as seeing how ODRs were effected during and afterwards.

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This clip on the various types of play made me very thankful for free choice in Kindergarten. This is a time my kids get to free explore. Creation station is a favorite in my room. I bring in recycle items from my house (yogurt cups, paper towel roles, plastic fruit containers, etc...) and al9ng with yarn, construction paper and glue/tape, they create!  I have been quite impressed! They role play in the kitchen area, where one day it is a restaurant and others a family having a meal or grocery shopping. They get paper and write grocery lists or menues on occasion. The best conversations are had during this time of day, I have read many articles on the importance of play, both guided and free, and it’s importance in developing brains.
Our brain breaks often include a learning element set to music. Phonics Man has some great raps for sight words, count8ng to 100, learning letters.
I am all about more play in the day!

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At the 2008 Serious Play conference, designer Tim Brown talks about the powerful relationship between creative thinking and play -- with many examples you can try at home (and one that maybe you shouldn't).

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I'm loving reading Dr. Brown's book. His insights about play are amazing! He states that play builds self-control and reduces impassivity--two areas of concern for many of the kids I see.
In addition, I love his research that supports rough-and-tumble play. He states that it is "necessary to animal and human development." Interesting, in light of how many parents feel about this today--so many kids have never engaged in any type of rough play. Perhaps this is why we see many deficits in our students.
It makes me think that recess, brain breaks and celebrations should center around play without electronics.

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First, I loved the opening story about the husky and the polar bear.  I have a husky and I can picture her doing the same thing! <3

I'm curious -- how do we play as adults?  I like playing board games and video games, or dancing - but those aren't things I do every day.

Dr. Brown says "play brings a sense of community or belonging."  I absolutely saw evidence of this when we did Global Day of Play.  Kids don't have enough time at recess to just chill!  And, as worried as I was about Global Day of Play (with a group of kids who lack major social skills) -- it was surprisingly not that big of an issue!

I also love watching dogs play (which is how the video ends). Random, but true.

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My class did Global Day of Play this year! It went really well, I think. I especially loved the rule of NO electronics!!! If I do it again next year, I want to make sure I'm playing along with my kids! This year I spent it coaching kids as needed, but also planning with Ms. Swaggart.

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There are different ways you can play and be active in the classroom.  Here are some ideas:
https://www.teachhub.com/top-10-indoor-games-classroom-activities
Some other ideas are having students do motions as they spell words or doing math problems and do motions to go with the answer. For example, they could do a lunge as they said each letter of a word. They could do Tic Tac Toe with actions (pic below). They have to do the action to put their X or O on a spot. You could also give them a deck of cards and each suit has a different movement and the number on the card would be how many you do of that movement.  These are some activities I do when I need to teacher in the classroom.  I also have the music to the CD Sittercise that has exercise  you can do while sitter in your seat if anyone wants to give it a try.
I watched The Promise of Play. I agree that play has a huge part in people developing and what better way to learn than by playing. I found it very interested as they started to talk about the different forms of play and that all mammals participate in play.

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I watched the first video. Something that really stood out to me was when he said that play helps us be adaptable and learn how to regulate our emotions. This made me think about a lot of my kiddos who struggle with those very skills. When I ask them what they did last night, they usually say something along the lines of playing a game on their tablet. I also find that these same students tend to choose playing on an iPad over any other type of play during free choice time. It makes me wonder how many of them actually have the opportunity or know how to play in other ways. My goal is to provide more opportunities for them to engage in body play, object play, and social play throughout the day to see if that helps grow their skills in emotional regulation.

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I watched the “The Promise of Play, Part 1” video and I learned that young chimps who have supportive families and are in a protected environment, tend to be more playful and more outgoing. According to Jane Goodall, “the more outgoing you are, the better your physical health is, and the more freedom you have to play.” This was important to learn because I can relate this to my students who may or may not have supportive families or live in a protected environment. I understand that diverse background can affect how much and the ways that students play. Therefore, I realize the value of providing plenty of opportunities to play in my classroom as well as providing the support and safe space that every student needs but may not have at home.

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I loved when Stuart Brown shared the picture of the goat and said, "If you're having a bad day, try this.  Jump up and down and wiggle around."
It reminds me of the "Crazy Shake" from Team Umizoomi (yes, we've been dancing to a lot of these recently at our house. It's hard to resist!).

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Team Umizoomi Crazy Shake Song For Children

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I got smart and logged in so my name would appear! :)

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I saw something a while ago about a school that had an entire day of play. No lessons, no structured things to do, just kids deciding what play they wanted to do. The idea was for students to "miss" learning. Not sure if that came across in one day, but I like the overall idea of it...maybe just not the whole day!

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I watched the video with Jane Goodall in it; she noted that there was more variation of play in animals with more developed brains. She also mentioned that both animals and humans need to feel healthy, safe, and well-fed before being able to play. That's important for us to think about with our kids.

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This is a great read that talks about ways to bring toys into the classroom. I have a copy of it somewhere. Feel free to borrow! :-)

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Access Google Forms with a personal Google account or Google Workspace account (for business use).

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Stuart Brown: Play is more than just fun

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A pioneer in research on play, Dr. Stuart Brown says humor, games, roughhousing, flirtation and fantasy are more than just fun. Plenty of play in childhood makes for happy, smart adults -- and keeping it up can make us smarter at any age.

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ABC News on Dr. Stuart Brown's book: Play

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This segment from ABC News aired March 4, 2009. Dr. Brown was profiled along with published work in National Geographic, research on Charles Whitman and the general science of play.