A Celebree School of Stafford classroom may look surprisingly chaotic during free play, with one child building a tower, a pair playing dinosaurs, and maybe someone having strong feelings all together in one room. To an adult passing by, it may seem as if the children are entertaining themselves, but these educators are seeing and building something else entirely different. Children are problem-solving when working through those big emotions or engaging in creativity and confidence through pretend play, especially the learning that comes with identifying animals and the sounds they make.
When children are picking their favorite dinosaur and perhaps share the same favorite, they’re building important social skills through negotiating and compromise. Playing in the kitchen develops imagination and decision-making as they pick who is chef or serving meals, even down to the customer ordering. During these moments, the most important parts follow. Their tower collapses, or the pretend game doesn’t go as planned, and children then have the opportunity to experience frustration in manageable situations and find healthy solutions.
As a Celebree parent, I’ve been able to see through the lens of educators and understand that Free play isn’t children just occupying themselves; it’s them doing some of their most important work. Through these moments, they’re exploring the world around them and building relationships that help develop the skills they’ll carry beyond the classroom.
