about playing, and older kids
[email protected]
Someone really new to the list had a post returned, but this question was
good and so I figured it could be answered here without a new member risking hurt
feelings.
-=-I can totally understand the unschooling and playing all day with younger
kids, but what about when they are highschool aged and they don't really play
anymore? What should I look for then?-=-
I'll post my own responses later.
Sandra
good and so I figured it could be answered here without a new member risking hurt
feelings.
-=-I can totally understand the unschooling and playing all day with younger
kids, but what about when they are highschool aged and they don't really play
anymore? What should I look for then?-=-
I'll post my own responses later.
Sandra
Pam Hartley
> -=-I can totally understand the unschooling and playing all day with youngerSome adults (the lucky ones, or the smart ones) play their whole lives long.
> kids, but what about when they are highschool aged and they don't really play
> anymore? What should I look for then?-=-
The play becomes more structured and focused with older children, and at
that point those aiding and abetting the player should be sure to do what
they've done all along -- keep a keen eye out for resources that might be of
interest; keep a willing ear to listen to what fascinates the player; keep
an open mind that something that the outside educationally-brainwashed
masses might think of as "useless", isn't.
Grown-ups who love what they do for "a living" aren't different than
children who pretend to be tigers in the grass for the joy of it.
Pam
J. Stauffer
<<What should I look for then?>>
I think older unschooling kids continue to play but their play tends to be
more goal focused, more "concentrated".
They develop interests and pursue those and while having fun doing pottery,
they "connect the dots" (to borrow from Sandra) without even realizing it.
They see how the different glazes work, how changing the temperature makes
drastic changes in the result.
They see that the more they practice, the better they get.
They see that others may be much better than they are but that lots of
things are still worth doing even if we aren't the best at it.
They see that they might need more money to pay for this fun and perhaps
need a job.
They might even realize that the person running the studio will trade them
"wheel time" for helping with a class of younger kids.
They realize that life can be made up of playing forever and that it is ok.
Julie S.
I think older unschooling kids continue to play but their play tends to be
more goal focused, more "concentrated".
They develop interests and pursue those and while having fun doing pottery,
they "connect the dots" (to borrow from Sandra) without even realizing it.
They see how the different glazes work, how changing the temperature makes
drastic changes in the result.
They see that the more they practice, the better they get.
They see that others may be much better than they are but that lots of
things are still worth doing even if we aren't the best at it.
They see that they might need more money to pay for this fun and perhaps
need a job.
They might even realize that the person running the studio will trade them
"wheel time" for helping with a class of younger kids.
They realize that life can be made up of playing forever and that it is ok.
Julie S.
----- Original Message -----
From: <SandraDodd@...>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, May 05, 2004 11:48 AM
Subject: [UnschoolingDiscussion] about playing, and older kids
> Someone really new to the list had a post returned, but this question was
> good and so I figured it could be answered here without a new member
risking hurt
> feelings.
>
>
> -=-I can totally understand the unschooling and playing all day with
younger
> kids, but what about when they are highschool aged and they don't really
play
> anymore? What should I look for then?-=-
>
> I'll post my own responses later.
>
> Sandra
>
>
>
> "List Posting Policies" are provided in the files area of this group.
>
> Visit the Unschooling website and message boards:
http://www.unschooling.com
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
[email protected]
In a message dated 5/5/04 1:28:50 PM, jnjstau@... writes:
<< I think older unschooling kids continue to play but their play tends to be
more goal focused, more "concentrated". >>
Kirby just spent fifteen minutes describing a game to me. His friend Leif
bought it for only $40 though it's hard to find and usually costs $60. (Game
#1, procuring and saving money) I asked if Leif knew we were leaving for the
weekend and might need his game, but Kirby said he wanted to leave it here
because it was probably the only place he'd get to play it.
It takes a team of hobbits, against Sauron. The players are working
cooperatively. When Sauron moves (somehow, some card draw maybe) he gets closer.
There are five boards. Two are double sided. Kirby was really animated in his
descriptions, and obviously looking forward to playing this game again, and
reminded me how fun it was and that it's hard to find. (Birthday gift hint, I
figure.)
He's 17.
He still plays.
He plays ork ball (a game Marty created and runs).
He plays boffers sometimes (padded toy swords.)
He has SCA armor and though he works on weekends and hardly goes to events
this year, he has an SCA persona, costumes, he's a squire and he has entered
tournaments. That's a BIG playing situation.
He plays video games.
He has worked over three years at a gaming shop, where kids and adults spend
some considerable money on games from chess and dice to collectible card games
to miniatures games where they paint teensy figures in great detail. That's
playing.
All that is learning, too, and it's voluntary, fun, engaging, a way to make
and maintain friendships...
My husband says "Give them time to relax, and they'll start playing again."
Holly (12) says "Give them things they want to play with."
"Kids who've been in school have to recover from having learned to sit and
wait for people to tell them what to do," Keith said.
Holly said, "So you BRING them things to do!"
This weekend we're going on a little family vacation. We'll go to Carlsbad
Caverns, stay in a motel with a little water park, go to a zoo, go to White
Sands, and then to the grandparents' house. We usually play a game with them.
Sometimes it used to be Yahtzee, but we've played lots of different games, and
lately Five Crowns.
Kirby will play around in the caverns, play at the water park, play at White
Sands.
Marty too. He's 15.
Holly too. She's 12 and a half.
Me and Keith too, and we haven't been their ages for a long time.
Sandra
<< I think older unschooling kids continue to play but their play tends to be
more goal focused, more "concentrated". >>
Kirby just spent fifteen minutes describing a game to me. His friend Leif
bought it for only $40 though it's hard to find and usually costs $60. (Game
#1, procuring and saving money) I asked if Leif knew we were leaving for the
weekend and might need his game, but Kirby said he wanted to leave it here
because it was probably the only place he'd get to play it.
It takes a team of hobbits, against Sauron. The players are working
cooperatively. When Sauron moves (somehow, some card draw maybe) he gets closer.
There are five boards. Two are double sided. Kirby was really animated in his
descriptions, and obviously looking forward to playing this game again, and
reminded me how fun it was and that it's hard to find. (Birthday gift hint, I
figure.)
He's 17.
He still plays.
He plays ork ball (a game Marty created and runs).
He plays boffers sometimes (padded toy swords.)
He has SCA armor and though he works on weekends and hardly goes to events
this year, he has an SCA persona, costumes, he's a squire and he has entered
tournaments. That's a BIG playing situation.
He plays video games.
He has worked over three years at a gaming shop, where kids and adults spend
some considerable money on games from chess and dice to collectible card games
to miniatures games where they paint teensy figures in great detail. That's
playing.
All that is learning, too, and it's voluntary, fun, engaging, a way to make
and maintain friendships...
My husband says "Give them time to relax, and they'll start playing again."
Holly (12) says "Give them things they want to play with."
"Kids who've been in school have to recover from having learned to sit and
wait for people to tell them what to do," Keith said.
Holly said, "So you BRING them things to do!"
This weekend we're going on a little family vacation. We'll go to Carlsbad
Caverns, stay in a motel with a little water park, go to a zoo, go to White
Sands, and then to the grandparents' house. We usually play a game with them.
Sometimes it used to be Yahtzee, but we've played lots of different games, and
lately Five Crowns.
Kirby will play around in the caverns, play at the water park, play at White
Sands.
Marty too. He's 15.
Holly too. She's 12 and a half.
Me and Keith too, and we haven't been their ages for a long time.
Sandra
Robyn Coburn
<<He's 17.
He still plays.>>
My husband is 42. He still plays - and not just his X-Box.
One of the games he plays is with his Ham radio buddies one night a week.
They take turns hosting a trivia contest. One person asks the questions (I
suspect they often use the cards from Trivial Pursuit) and the rest of the
listeners jump in all over each other to answer, or make humorous smart ass
comments. There is no winner or loser. I guess it is the only time when
jamming, ie keying over another person, is somewhat allowable.
James wants to do a Ham Funshop at the conference. Also a Geocache hunt.
This is all ages playing together.
Actors play "The Game" a lot. For those who don't know that would be
Charades.
Robyn L. Coburn
---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
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He still plays.>>
My husband is 42. He still plays - and not just his X-Box.
One of the games he plays is with his Ham radio buddies one night a week.
They take turns hosting a trivia contest. One person asks the questions (I
suspect they often use the cards from Trivial Pursuit) and the rest of the
listeners jump in all over each other to answer, or make humorous smart ass
comments. There is no winner or loser. I guess it is the only time when
jamming, ie keying over another person, is somewhat allowable.
James wants to do a Ham Funshop at the conference. Also a Geocache hunt.
This is all ages playing together.
Actors play "The Game" a lot. For those who don't know that would be
Charades.
Robyn L. Coburn
---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.658 / Virus Database: 421 - Release Date: 4/9/2004
[email protected]
In a message dated 5/5/2004 6:31:29 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
dezigna@... writes:
James wants to do a Ham Funshop at the conference. Also a Geocache hunt.
This is all ages playing together.<<<<
Let Kathryn know----and as soon as possible!
~Kelly
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
dezigna@... writes:
James wants to do a Ham Funshop at the conference. Also a Geocache hunt.
This is all ages playing together.<<<<
Let Kathryn know----and as soon as possible!
~Kelly
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
In a message dated 5/5/04 4:31:48 PM, dezigna@... writes:
<< My husband is 42. He still plays - >>
Keith's 47. He was excited about a game someone came up with at an SCA event
last weekend, and he was in on it. Armored guys with their rattan swords,
six at a time, around a tree, and each had to hold a rope. First pass, you
couldn't engage the guy next to you in combat, you had to skip over to another
one. So they had a handicap, and ropes in the way, and in a bit only one guy's
still up. I didn't even ask Keith how well he did, and he didn't tell me,
because that wasn't the important part of the story. It was a new game he had
never played or seen.
One they do lots, which takes no preparation, is "bear pit," and it's just
one guy taking challengers. Those who want to fight him line up, and as long as
he wins, he's still
"In the pit." If he loses, the winner is "in the bear pit."
That they've done for years, though, and the first time there was really a
little pit, and sometimes they've found other parks or places where there was a
natural little low place and it inspires them to play bear pit, but if there's
not one they just claim a spot, somewhere.
Only really good fighters will start it, because it only works if it's a good
guy being challenged. And it's a good way for newer SCA combatants to get to
fight experienced guys without the trouble of negotiating a lesson, or of
entering a formal tournament, and they can keep getting back in line if they want
to, or wander off if they want, without pressure.
Sandra
<< My husband is 42. He still plays - >>
Keith's 47. He was excited about a game someone came up with at an SCA event
last weekend, and he was in on it. Armored guys with their rattan swords,
six at a time, around a tree, and each had to hold a rope. First pass, you
couldn't engage the guy next to you in combat, you had to skip over to another
one. So they had a handicap, and ropes in the way, and in a bit only one guy's
still up. I didn't even ask Keith how well he did, and he didn't tell me,
because that wasn't the important part of the story. It was a new game he had
never played or seen.
One they do lots, which takes no preparation, is "bear pit," and it's just
one guy taking challengers. Those who want to fight him line up, and as long as
he wins, he's still
"In the pit." If he loses, the winner is "in the bear pit."
That they've done for years, though, and the first time there was really a
little pit, and sometimes they've found other parks or places where there was a
natural little low place and it inspires them to play bear pit, but if there's
not one they just claim a spot, somewhere.
Only really good fighters will start it, because it only works if it's a good
guy being challenged. And it's a good way for newer SCA combatants to get to
fight experienced guys without the trouble of negotiating a lesson, or of
entering a formal tournament, and they can keep getting back in line if they want
to, or wander off if they want, without pressure.
Sandra
J. Stauffer
<<go to White Sands>>
One of my favorite family vacations was to White Sands. We only had 2 kids
then, 5 and 3. We did Carlsbad, did the Billy the Kid stuff, came back
through Big Bend area into Texas and hit the Judge Roy Bean stuff. We had
such a blast. The kids still talk about that as one of our favorite trips.
Julie S.
One of my favorite family vacations was to White Sands. We only had 2 kids
then, 5 and 3. We did Carlsbad, did the Billy the Kid stuff, came back
through Big Bend area into Texas and hit the Judge Roy Bean stuff. We had
such a blast. The kids still talk about that as one of our favorite trips.
Julie S.
----- Original Message -----
From: <SandraDodd@...>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, May 05, 2004 4:29 PM
Subject: Re: [UnschoolingDiscussion] about playing, and older kids
>
> In a message dated 5/5/04 1:28:50 PM, jnjstau@... writes:
>
> << I think older unschooling kids continue to play but their play tends to
be
>
> more goal focused, more "concentrated". >>
>
> Kirby just spent fifteen minutes describing a game to me. His friend Leif
> bought it for only $40 though it's hard to find and usually costs $60.
(Game
> #1, procuring and saving money) I asked if Leif knew we were leaving for
the
> weekend and might need his game, but Kirby said he wanted to leave it here
> because it was probably the only place he'd get to play it.
>
> It takes a team of hobbits, against Sauron. The players are working
> cooperatively. When Sauron moves (somehow, some card draw maybe) he gets
closer.
> There are five boards. Two are double sided. Kirby was really animated
in his
> descriptions, and obviously looking forward to playing this game again,
and
> reminded me how fun it was and that it's hard to find. (Birthday gift
hint, I
> figure.)
>
> He's 17.
>
> He still plays.
>
> He plays ork ball (a game Marty created and runs).
>
> He plays boffers sometimes (padded toy swords.)
>
> He has SCA armor and though he works on weekends and hardly goes to events
> this year, he has an SCA persona, costumes, he's a squire and he has
entered
> tournaments. That's a BIG playing situation.
>
> He plays video games.
>
> He has worked over three years at a gaming shop, where kids and adults
spend
> some considerable money on games from chess and dice to collectible card
games
> to miniatures games where they paint teensy figures in great detail.
That's
> playing.
>
> All that is learning, too, and it's voluntary, fun, engaging, a way to
make
> and maintain friendships...
>
>
>
>
>
> My husband says "Give them time to relax, and they'll start playing
again."
>
> Holly (12) says "Give them things they want to play with."
>
> "Kids who've been in school have to recover from having learned to sit and
> wait for people to tell them what to do," Keith said.
>
> Holly said, "So you BRING them things to do!"
>
> This weekend we're going on a little family vacation. We'll go to
Carlsbad
> Caverns, stay in a motel with a little water park, go to a zoo, go to
White
> Sands, and then to the grandparents' house. We usually play a game with
them.
> Sometimes it used to be Yahtzee, but we've played lots of different games,
and
> lately Five Crowns.
>
> Kirby will play around in the caverns, play at the water park, play at
White
> Sands.
> Marty too. He's 15.
> Holly too. She's 12 and a half.
>
> Me and Keith too, and we haven't been their ages for a long time.
>
> Sandra
>
>
> "List Posting Policies" are provided in the files area of this group.
>
> Visit the Unschooling website and message boards:
http://www.unschooling.com
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>