Time for Creative Play

“I really like this!” a student said to me after the 2nd Hornung Imagination Chapter meeting. 

“What do you really like about this?” I probed.

“I don’t usually have the time to create anything I want.  We got to build for a long time.  Plus, I don’t usually have all the supplies.”

“Well, I’m glad you are enjoying yourself!” I replied. 

I have kicked off the Hornung Imagination Chapter pilot, and we have met for 2 weeks now.  The first week was spent celebrating the Global Cardboard Challenge, and this past week we had fun building towers out of paper and creations out of marshmallows and spaghetti. I will admit, this past week’s meeting was messy! There were spaghetti noodles everywhere and marshmallows that ended up getting squished on the bottoms of shoes and into the carpet.  I definitely have reflected on a better way to do it next time, but like most things in life, you learn as you go. 

It was a busy room full of 33 creative children in grades 2-4, 2 parent volunteers, and 2 college students.  Kids were spread out, some working in partnerships, while others worked individually.  There were tee pees being made, bridges, towers, and villages. Kids were having fun! Many of the creations were not able to make it home and ended up in the garbage, but the kids were OK with it. Imagination Chapter outcome: play doesn’t always have to have a product to take home. 

The above interaction I had with a student came at the end of the meeting when we were cleaning up.  He pretty much captured the intent of this chapter…to set aside specific time for creative play.  To designate a space and time for kids to explore, imagination, and play.  I shared our conversation with his mom, and I laughed that he was impressed with all of the supplies we had.  In week one we played with cardboard and tape, while week 2 we used spaghetti and marshmallows.  She said that before this meeting, they looked at those things as food, and that this program will probably open up their eyes to the things around them and the potential they have in creation. Imagination Chapter outcome: children will be able to see the world in different ways. 

While we were in play mode, one of the creative parent helpers, who has her own clothing design company, had a suggestion to make totem poles.  Then we started brainstorming materials for it.  From our brainstorming conversation, we have plans to make milk jog creations that will stack to be a totem pole.  Perhaps we will even make seasonal ones to switch out throughout the year.  These could be permanent art pieces for Hornung.  Imagination Chapter outcome: Adults can come together to collaborate and inspire the creativity within each other.

The kids were asking me throughout the meeting, “What are we going to do next time?”  There are many things flowing through my mind, and I hope that I will be able to find a way to do all of the things that I have thought of.  But…it all comes down to time…a very precious resource! Stay tuned to our next Imagination Chapter adventures!