More evidence about the power of play

On Moving Up Day, each class visited the next one up - just to get a feel for what it will be like next year!  Lunch was the visiting time with many giggles.

At recess, there was a flurry of building projects - engineers in the making.  The more I read about how play is the way that the human brain develops, the more I treasure the freedom of two daily recesses.  The latest issue of The Atlantic has a great book review about The Evolution of Childhood by Melvin Konner.
Play's the Thing by Benjamin Schwarz

"The smartest animals are the most playful, so these traits have apparently evolved together. It (play) seems to have multiple functions - exercise, learning, sharpening skills - and the positive emotions it evokes may be an adaptation that encourages us to try new things and learn with more flexibility.  In fact, it may be the primary means nature has found to develop our brains."

More evidence to support an education that harnesses children's natural tendencies to their best effect!