It’s amazing what you can do with hula hoops, balls, sponges, water, parachutes, bubbles and sidewalk chalk.  It was a beautiful afternoon, bright sunshine and a hefty breeze and the smiles and laughter were everywhere.  The school quickly became a true community with parents and grandparents joining the teachers and students as field day commenced.

The teachers today were actually 5th grade students, having been trained earlier this morning to lead and teach the games to the younger kids.  There were opportunities for collaboration, working together as a team and opportunities to test yourself as an individual.  Introverted students were able to find time to refresh, perhaps sitting on a bench on the playground or with a quiet time of sidewalk chalk art, watching their friends try to catch bubbles.

It occurred to me, as I was watching the festivities, that this is how learning should be for children.  I watched the 5th graders take ownership, taking their tasks seriously, learning that it’s not always easy to get students to listen to what the teacher says.  I watched students help friends with special needs, encouraging and cheering them on.  I saw little friends comforting others with hugs and kind words, those who had taken a spill and maybe skinned a knee.

There was laughter in winning and losing as they understood that these were just games and they were working and learning together.  The tug-of-war was a great example of that as I watched the losing side squeal with laughter as they were pulled through the grass.  I’m sure their moms will appreciate the grass stained clothes with a little mud thrown in just for fun.

It was games like tug of war that were the best because kids had to find a way to work together, to work out strategies to help each other.  Whether it was that or working with the parachute in the wind, kids had to figure out how to work together.  Then there was the experimentation.  How do I balance a ball on top of a baton and carry it?  How fast can I go safely?  How do I hold a ball between my knees and move?  Do I walk or jump?  Do I go forward or sideways?  What worked best for my friend and can I make that work?  No fear of failure means more experimentation.  That’s the way learning should be.

Everyone played, nobody was left out, and everyone was encouraged.  They helped each other remember their water bottles, they moved to the next game at the sound of the whistle, they put water cups in the trash.  Clean up took about 5 minutes as everyone worked together.  THAT is what is means to be part of a team.  Why can’t school look like this EVERY day?

Of course, the research will tell you that this is how children learn best – through play.  The are more engaged when they can spend more time playing outside.  There are fewer issues with behavior when students get time to figure out things on their own and have the opportunity to help and teach others with teachers becoming facilitators.  And just think about it.  Ten years from now, these kids won’t remember the tests they took or the homework they did, they’ll remember field day and how they worked and played together.  They’ll remember their teachers smiling at and laughing with them.  They’ll remember having a simple popsicle afterwards.  Because this is the school of play.