TL;DR:
- Introducing a new monthly piece: Play Better!
- Play can play a huge role in your classroom, as it addresses physical and emotional development.
- An overview of what BreAnn will be sharing in her monthly blog posts to help educators and parents play better.
Play Saves the Day
My friends, we have been through a lot these past couple of months. Maybe it feels more like a year to you; it does for me too! I’m here to tell you why we all need play right now.
Think back to the activities that helped you get through quarantine. Puzzles were selling out at stores; did you complete one? Animal Crossing broke records in the video game industry, becoming one of the most bought and downloaded game this year. Some players have even found the classic Gamecube version on emulators, which you could check out and download (or Télécharger animal crossing) here if you wish to play it for yourself. I’ll admit that I played and I even built a tiny school on the top floor of my house. Maybe you saw people walking, running, buying new gym equipment, or riding bikes down the roads. Maybe you did drawing classes online with music filling the spaces in between.
So if playful activities helped us get through a confusing, highly stressful, and historic time in our lives, think about the benefits that it can have on the children in your classroom. Click To TweetYou may have found yourself unable to do activities you once enjoyed like reading a complete book, watching a dramatic show, or following a conversation with a friend. Why were all these activities so popular?
People needed to play.
So if playful activities helped us get through a confusing, highly stressful, and historic time in our lives, think about the benefits that it can have on the children in your classroom.
Our brains learn through play and while engaged in play. Our brains can sort through stress, hormones, and emotions. Whether throwing a ball or climbing a tree, having control over made-up games with rules that are created on the fly help with our emotional and physical development. The Pediatric Therapy Network states that life without play can lead to serious challenges or changes in behavior.
Play is in Session
Here are some topics that I’m going to write about, but I want to also hear from you! Feel free to reach out to me on Twitter and let me know what activities helped you during quarantine or what topics you want to learn more about for your classroom.
- The Science Behind Play
- What’s Your Play Style
- Games People Play
- Why Adults Need Play Too
- Play in the Classroom
- Recess and You
My Books on Play
I am also excited to announce my new book is launching July 22nd! Check out Play? Yay! Baby Talk on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or on the Edumatch Bookstore!
Want the first in the series? Grab Play? Yay! also sold on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or the Edumatch Bookstore!
How will you play today?
About BreAnn Fennell
Mrs. BreAnn Fennell is a first-grade and second-grade looping teacher in Ashland, Ohio. She has worked in both public and private settings and is passionate about providing exciting learning environments for students. Mrs. Fennell is a published author of children’s books including Play? Yay! and Choose Your Cheer. She is a mom to two energetic boys and a defender of play!
