Inside King's-Edgehill School
Dear KES Family:
“Go out and play” was something my mother used to say to my brother and me all the time. We thought she just wanted us out of the house so she could have some peace and quiet. Perhaps this was her reason, but the end result was that we had the benefits of fresh air and of unstructured ‘free’ time. These benefits are described in all sorts of incomprehensible and jargony ways by different medical groups, but in the simple language of the Help Me Grow organization:
Unstructured play allows children the freedom to explore, create and discover without predetermined rules or guidelines. It’s been shown to foster cognitive development while boosting physical development and social and emotional development. It specifically helps creativity and imagination, problem-solving abilities and social skills.
This week, public health restrictions have prevented structured team practices and sport. Free play, preferably outside, is the only option for our students. This is disappointing of course, but the end result has its own benefits. It has been wonderful seeing students tobogganing on Front Hill, playing soccer in the snow, learning disc golf at the Haliburton House course, or skating on the ice of the Birthplace of Hockey: Long Pond. On the basketball court, students are playing small group games of Round the World or HORSE. It is all good, healthy, and beneficial activity.
Twice this week I walked over to Long Pond and saw groups of boys and girls having fun together skating on the ice. Some had their own skates, others borrowed from our School’s supply. They had a portable speaker playing pop songs placed in the middle of the frozen pond. They greeted me happily. Here was a perfect example of the simple pleasures of going out to play.
It was idyllic, and a wonderfully Canadian scene.
Sincerely,
Joe Seagram