Where You Least Expect It

With physical distancing at the heart of my school’s safety procedures, our playground equipment and surrounding grassy areas are divided up to keep classrooms seperated. Each day, each class is assigned to a new section that offers different play opportunities. The soccer field. The baseball diamond. The equipment. The blacktop. For my class, Wednesday is known as playground day and is certainly the preferred day.

Thursday, or blacktop day, is not.

On those less than desired Thursdays, the students are forced to make a decision. Let boredom breed frustration or let creativity conquer.

This past Thursday, as the chilly autumn air blustered through the playground,. Many of the still functiuonal jump ropes and rubber balls remained in the storage shed as the class took an unexpected and child-initiated perspective on play.

One student grabbed some chalk and started coloring cioncrete. Others took notice and joined in. What happened next was refreshing.

Every child, including my sports-obsessed boys, saw what was unfolding around their feet and took a competitive break to add to the newly-christened canvas.

Rather than the usual chalk creations of random hearts or tic-tac-toe boards scattered around, the children colored in the random tar-covered joints of the cracking concrete. A chalky, dusty rainbow glossed over the zig zags of black tar lines. The exuberance of the students was evident in their smiles and chlak-covered hands.

It just goes to prove that play doesn’t have to be scripted or manicured. Creativity and ingenuity is everywhere. Even where you least expect it.