Why Play Works

Big Changes Start Small

Jill Vialet

• Publisher: Jossey-Bass
• Year: 2021
• Print ISBN: 9781119774549
• eBook ISBN: 9781119775508
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

Harness the power of play in building learning environments that help students thrive

In Why Play Works, expert educator and author Jill Vialet shares her insights from a career of promoting play. Designed to support schools, education professionals and parents in promoting play as an essential tool for increasing social connection amongst their students, you'll find out why playing is a behavior that's helped children learn to navigate the demands of social interaction for eons, and how we can keep it central to their school experience even as we return from the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this book, you'll discover:

• Why it's important to intentionally integrate play into day-to-day school operations because of its ability to help students learn to manage risks, develop greater self awareness, and build confidence
• Ways of incorporating play into space – both in-person and remote – that contribute to responsive, flexible and sustainable teaching and learning environments
• Real examples of schools leveraging play to promote youth leadership and student agency
• How to incorporate play in co-creating new approaches to education, building off the insight that big changes start small

Perfect for educators, school administrators, parents of school-age children, and anyone who is simply play-curious, Why Play Works is intended to prompt your thinking about all the ways in which play can be a tool for helping to bring out the best in our kids.. The book stands out as a thoughtful, playful and effective guide for supporting the learning and well-being of students everywhere.

Game Guide

Animal Farm

→ Supports Self‐Management, Social Awareness/Empathy

GROUP SIZE 6+ players	AGE GROUP K–3rd
EQUIPMENT Cones or chalk for boundaries, if needed	TIME 5 minutes

Set Up

Designate a play area with safe boundaries and room for the group to move. An area about 20 × 20 feet should be big enough.

Before You Start

• In a circle, have children count off from 1 up to 3, 4, or 5 (depending on the size of group and complexity the group can handle).
• Assign an animal for each number, and tell players what animal they are: all 1s are dogs, 2s are ducks, and so on.
• Review with the players what sound each animal makes. They could be a dog (bark), a duck (quack), a cow (moo), a cat (meow), a sheep (baa), a lion (roar), or any other animal that makes a sound.
• Make sure each player remembers his or her animal and knows its sound.
• Review safety measures: while their eyes are closed, children walk slowly with hands out in front of them.
• Optional: assign one player to be the leader.

How to Play

• The leader starts the game. by calling out “Animal Farm, go!” or another start phrase.
• Players shut their eyes and keep them shut.
• Players make their animal sounds, and walk slowly around the area, with their hands up to act as a bumper to find their fellow matching animals.
• Once two “animals” are together, they stop moving and stay together. They continue to make their animal sounds, until the rest of their group finds them.
• The game is over when all players have found their group, or when the first group is complete and together.

Variation(s)

• Instead of numbers, give players pictures of different animals.
• Depending on the age and ability of your group, you can add more or fewer animals to make groups larger or smaller.
• After playing, have students find their animal groups later for group work during class.

Band Aid Tag

→ Supports Social Awareness/Empathy, Decision‐Making, Problem‐Solving

GROUP SIZE 10–50 players	AGE GROUP K–5th
EQUIPMENT Cones or chalk for boundaries	TIME 5 minutes

Set Up

• Designate a clear playing area.
• Designate a hospital outside the play area.

...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Table of Contents
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Introduction
• Play, Seriously: The Theory and Science Behind Play
• Twenty Big Changes That Start with Play
• We Can Do This
• Game Guide
• Acknowledgments
• Index
• End User License Agreement