Yellow Jacket Sisters
Three children had been stung by yellow jackets. The stings had not happened at school, but the memories and the desire to not be stung again ruled the day(s). Play and story came to the rescue.
The Parents Aren't the Problem
Parents embrace the play. They also question. They wonder. They also disagree. They worry. They want more information. Oh my goodness, it is as if they CARE about what is going on with their children. And isn't that what I do as well?
From this, future stewards grow.
The idea that children will wreck things is very much part of the adult-world view (not all adults, of course, but many). This is something that trails us when we visit the adult-world of art museums and it also follows us into the forest.
Rulers of the Game
“He always has to be ruler of the game,” she said of her older brother. “Should he be?” I asked. “No, sometimes I should be the ruler, but he won’t let me.” The older brother disagreed with this observation. He told us that he only rules the game sometimes.
Planned Serendipity, A Discussion About "Child-led Curriculum"
Humans have been using story to enliven their play for a very, very long time so this is nothing new.This is what “planned serendipity” is – we imagine and re-imagine possible story lines and collect materials that enrich them and enjoy the play that unfolds.