Training Week:
During the training week leading up to the actual camp, we will be exploring play, as well as preparing activities for the camp.
Aim of Training Week
The training leading up to the “Camp Play and Learn” aims to prepare provide you with:
- A deeper understanding of the nature of play
- A shared understanding of “play literacy”
- An appreciation of the diversity of play and experience with different forms of play (nature play, dramatic play,
- A basic skillset to design for play in practice
Principles of Training Week
We aim for the training week to mirror principles of play, as it should be playful in itself, of course.
We will take play seriously, talking and thinking about play, touching upon some of the more difficult questions, but we will also simply play and embrace the silliness.
We won’t be looking for any one definition of play, nor any one way of playing. On the contrary, we’ll look into the diversity of play, and experiment with many different ideas about play.
Throughout the week and the camp, we will insist on the participatory nature of play. That is, playing is about participation, and we are all participants, instructors and children alike. We can all shape the camp, bring up ideas and take the play in a new direction.
For you as instructors, this also means that you will have to play a very active role in preparing the camps, designing the activities and making sure the experience will be as good as possible for all participants (see also this post on our principles when designing the CounterPlay festival).
Monday (introduction):
- Short play session
- Instructor introduction – “what is your favorite play memory? What does play mean to you? What is your favorite way of playing? How do you hope to contribute to the camp?”
- Short presentation on the purpose of the camp, training week agenda and play literacy.
- Discussion: what is play literacy?
- Play Jam: design and introduce a play activity
Tuesday (reflection):
- Short play session (prepared by instructors)
- Short presentation: “Introduction to the field of play”
- World cafe: what do we know about play?
- Play break
- Creative session: making small stories about play / what makes a good play space?
Wednesday (design):
- Play session (prepared by instructors)
- Short presentation: “designing for play”
- Making a prototype/mockup of a good playspace
- Designing play activities for the camp
- Testing play activities
Thursday (design):
- Play session (prepared by instructors)
- Designing play activities – continued
- Presenting & trying play activities
- Visiting libraries