Mum studied Threads at art school, then worked as an art teacher. But when our family moved to Ripon in 1974, she had to find a job and managed to get work as a teaching assistant at a Catholic nursery , despite not being Catholic. Sister Ita, the head nun at the local catholic primary, recognised Mum’s talents and on her retirement, mum now being head of the nursery, said that hiring mum had been one of her best decisions.
Mum’s teaching style was all about children learning through play and stories. Her method was all about designing the classroom like a playground. There were different areas for all kinds of play, messy, quiet, creative, social, and children leamed through play and from each other. Teachers held the space so that all could play and learn well. The only set time was story time.
And Mum was always a reader, and loved living through her imagination. Books were her great pleasure in her more solitary mourning following dad’s bereavement, as they had been ever since a small stubborn girl. Who when forced to play cricket at school, she was happy in the outfield, so she could sit and read only disturbed by the occasional cricket ball.
I’d experienced the nursery for a week while I was getting to know the children before running some studies as part of my PhD. It was joyful. Mostly moving around at the end with at least one small person attached to each leg. I also interviewed her in later years, recognising then how much her own intuitions chimed with Bernie De Koven, my own jedi master of play, also obsessed with playgrounds and The Well-Played Game.
It’s with all this in mind that I have devised this game as a way for any small group to play as a tribute to Mum’s brilliance in caring for small children and as a way of respecting joyfully. Feel free to adapt the ‘rules’ to suit your setting, Mum would only approve.
v playtesting with a playdoh worm
Playtime: for Edwina
A game for 3 or more players, ideally of different generations
Playing time 20-40 min, you decide…
Requirements:
a selection of books, ideally one book chosen by or for each player
a variety of creative materials e.g. playdoh, pens and paper, building blocks, scrunched up paper and tape…
Take what comes to hand, or prepare, as you will. Arrange these in different areas around the room you’re in.
First of all, an opening story circle.
Each player takes a book and reads out at most one sentence, or even just one word. This can be chosen or at random.
But each player in turn reads or has read for them one thing for the circle to be complete.
Next, one person set a timer for 15-30 min, you decide.
This is playtime, and everyone gravitates to whichever creative activity they fancy. Make or draw whatever you like. Only suggestions to try to join in with other people but also no problem to stay by yourself or leave a group, do what you want and make what you want. The only rule, respect what others have made. Stay as long or as little as you like with each activity. No shame in being by yourself or flitting like a butterfly between activities. Do what feels fun.
When the timer is up, everyone finishes up and comes back into a circle.
You may then choose take some time to share what you’ve made.
Finally the youngest person present picks a book for the oldest person present to read a short extract.
And then for everyone to decide together a word or line from that extract to be the title of your playtime.
If you like, send the title and any photos of what you made or played to tassos.stevens@gmail.com or share online.