Run Wild by David Covell is a beautifully illustrated book that celebrates the joy of playing outdoors.

“Hey, you! Sky’s blue!” a girl shouts as she runs by the window of a boy bent over his digital device. Intrigued, the boy runs out after her, leaving his shoes (and phone) behind, and into a world of sunshine, dewy grass, and warm sand.

“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.” – Mr. Rogers

Children have had more time to play lately.  Parents have sent me pictures of their children building forts, fishing, cooking scrambled eggs and pancakes, planting gardens and playing in the mud.  These are examples of serious learning.

Children develop their imagination, confidence, emotional flexibility and social skills through play. Play also stimulates problem solving skills, and creative and critical thinking skills.   So, let’s encourage play.

Communities are places to play.

Where do you play in your community?

These pictures are of places to play in the community of Burnaby.  Can you tell your grown-up the names of these places?

There are human made and natural features of our environment that provide places for community members to play.

• People  build parks and arenas so they are called human made.
• Beaches and mountains are natural as they exist without any help from humans!

Think, turn, tell:  Look at the pictures above again.  What do you see in the pictures that are natural? What do you see that are human made?

Think about the perfect place to play.

Design a place you would like to play in and write about it. Where would it be? What would it have? Why would you like to play there?  What would you call it?

Click on the link below.

My play place