[Note- Here are the notes I took that day, edited for clarity]
Notes – Day 4 Session 1
day 4 session 3
Adventure play and anarchy zones: Ten ways to safely bring risk back to the lives of children
Featured Session
1 1/2-hour session — limit 4 presenters
All Children
11/5/2016 12:15 PM – 1:45 PM
Room 515A
Los Angeles Convention Center
Rusty Keeler, Artist/Designer/Author, Earth Play
For a multitude of reasons children around the world today are not able to freely play the way they did only a few generations ago. Many of today children spend their lives indoors, with full schedules, and plugged into various forms of technology. What free play their may have is structured by adults not children, and the fear of safety has stripped play and play spaces of much of their thrill and excitement. If that wasn’t bad enough current research is showing this play deficit to have negative consequences socially, intellectually, and physically for developing children. Fortunately however, the pendulum is swinging back and adults around the world are working to bring free play, risk, and adventure back into the lives of children. One exciting trend is the return of adventure playgrounds! In these spaces children are encouraged to be kids again with plenty of time for free, kid-structured play and exploration. This presentation will show a variety of adventure playground examples from around the world while highlighting the newest American adventure playground: “The Hands-on-Nature Anarchy Zone” at The Ithaca Children’s Garden in Ithaca, NY. Here children are free to climb trees, build forts, dig in the mud, cook over fires and more — all with the help of trained adult playworkers and a shed full of tools and loose materials. And the trend is continuing in other venues as well as schools and childcare centers work to weigh benefits of risk and create more challenging environments for their children.
tired
wired
inspired
once you learn how to read, it changes the way you think
risk is a good thing
learning
stretching
growing
balancing on a log, climb a tree
learn , sound out words are also a risk
think about environments you played in as a kid
all the sensory experiences
those experiences helped us assess risks
bubble wrapped children
not giving the child a change to assess
behind that is the adult saying yes or the adult saying no
to let the kids be okay with that uncomfortableness to a limit
book– Seasons of play – rusty keeler
photos of risk
you try something , then you feel more expanded
beauty of risk
Q- how do you show – let kids get the difference between risk or hazard
risk = can see – can choose
hazard = won’t see- doesn’t see, takes them by surprise and could hurt them
how can adults find their yes?
have chickens? – kids digging with real shovels?
how can we find our yes?
dream big, start small, never stop
add projects
you don’t go out with a chainsaw
adult provides time for free play, space, materials, loose stuff, tools
provide ropes and wood to make swings
stuff isn’t pretty it says yes
know the importance
adult playworkers-
to provide a space as if they parents weren’t there
willow hut
play in space – robert frost
(play photos) – not adult led
tubes from carpet stores – best buy boxes – wood forester – wood chips
pool noodles
self reflective practice
should I have stepped in or not have stepped in?
Not intervene if possible
online free — the playwork primer by penny wilson
http://www.allianceforchildhood.org/sites/allianceforchildhood.org/files/file/PlayworkPrimer_2010.pdf
there’s not enough
but at anarchy zone there’s lots
adults provide materials (cloth)
ways to bring the ‘yes’
1- have kids in it
relationships – you know them and their abilities
you can find your yes because you know your kids
wood ramp boards – jumping off (spots)
2- trust children
what’s wrong with that
3- let kids set their limits
it is more work for the adults, but if you want the kids to have experiences
earthplay.net
4- risk benefit analysis
Risk — Benefit
we did these things to make it a safer experience
Example:
Logs
Risk
could fall– etc
Benefit
self efficacy
problem solving
large motor
balance
fun
bi-lateral *across midline
what are acceptable injuries – scrapes and bumps
drift wood – climbing rope and spools
playwork principles
rules – no going up the slide
hiding places – large grass – tubes for sand area
question your authority
dipping cars in paint
tree climb — found a way
- cut off sharp bits
- soft fall surface
parents – your children are going to get dirty because they are learning
and articles to read
kid overalls
one messy corner the kids don’t have to clean up
June 29th – international mud day
hose connector – trickle “simple faucet” [edit 11/5/17 I bought this]