The Original Learning Approach evolved because I felt play was not being taken as seriously as learning and teaching. The image of the loom with the warp thread being play that teaching and learning are woven into was my way of visualising how inextricable they are.
Play is vital and from a neuroscience point of view - how our brain releases feel-good hormones, so we do stuff to adapt to a complex world, changes as the brain matures and experiences more. Children's play is about building muscles, strong skeleton, sensory processing, language, regulation and so much more. Our adult brains are not going to release the endorphins etc for the same kind as stuff as young children learning to walk, talk, ride a bike, jump, work out their own identity and the identities of others etc etc etc. So maybe our adult play looks like reading, hanging out with friends, dancing, gardening, walking, taking photos, watching TV, basically all the stuff we do when the “musts” stop.
For me, personally, daydreaming is a BIG part of my play for my mental health (it was my entire childhood too) and is one aspect of my play. Sometimes I think the way we view play is too normative - it's too connected to children - and ever younger children. Meaning we are associating the way young children play as what play is - and that those not engaged in that kind of expression and doing are not playing.
I think feeling free is important. Free from the musts. Free from judgement. Free from embarrassment. Free from having to do it in a specific way in order to get awards, or points, or grades or approval….
It's giving ourselves permission to do “nothing”, or, rather, none of all those musts - and society has been pushing the “busy agenda” for a long time. Looking back 100 years ago - the wealthy created workhouses (here in Stockholm but most likely everywhere in at least the Western/colonised world) so that the poor children playing on the streets could learn how to stop being “lazy” (and also get a charitable meal). I think increasing the wages of their parents forced to work overly long hours just to survive (let alone thrive) would have been better - but that would have meant reducing their own profits - and I think this is a continued problem today - where poverty is affecting the well being, education and access to play for far too many. The narrative of play being “lazy” because it's not "productive " in this capitalistic existence of ours has been around for a long time.
Important to point out that this is mostly a western, colonial, capitalist way of framing play or doing the things we want to do when the musts have come to an end. And this mantra of “lazy” starts early. When often it's the brain seeking what it needs to thrive rather than doing what an extrinsic source is saying it needs (often with little actual attempt to understand the individual children and their developing bodies and brains).
The Original Learning Approach is play-responsive. This means there is a need to observe the children at play (regardless of age) to notice what it is that their brains are engaged in. This informs how we can teach - so that we are more likely to motivate the children and achieve learning flow.
Learning flow, like play flow is a state of joy. It’s why it is a loom… they are so interwoven that at times it is impossible to tel them apart. The only thing we need to absolutely be sure of is that while play can be found in learning, and teaching can be playful - teaching can never be found in play. Because the very dynamic of teaching alters the intrinsic-ness of play with extrinsic expectations. And yes to playful teaching - but it should not be replacing the children’s autonomous play.
In the end maybe it’s not play that is important? But autonomy. And that the language of autonomy is often play when the musts are done - regardless of age. It is our human default. What we all need in life is balance. To find play flow, learning flow and work flow in our autonomy - and autonomy that is not individualistic like Western/colonial cultures are trying to impress upon us - but is a collective interaction of autonomous beings thriving together.
as always please add comments, questions and suggestions