I was so excited to find out about Global School Play Day 2015 right before it happened.  It was the first one ever and my class helped inaugurate the new tradition!  For some reason (I’m not sure why except that maybe I just forgot??) we didn’t participate last year.  This time around I was ready, and even got some other Robinson friends to join in, too!

Last time around I wrote a really long (but great!) post about all the things I thought we learned from our play, and while that was all true and good, this post will be more about what we actually did.  There are some great stories, pictures and videos to share, and yes, indeed, also learning. 🙂

Ok…so we started our GSPD 2017 with our normal easel question.  Sometimes it’s math, sometimes it’s writing, sometimes it’s review of something else.  Today it was a question about the day:

I really wanted them to get the idea that while it would definitely be a FUN day, it would also be a day where they would indeed be learning something.  I hoped this would focus their minds on that idea and help them see the opportunities in a new way.

After we got through our morning announcements and the pledge, I had everyone gather on our rug for a meeting to start our day. We talked about the answers they had put on the easel question, and I also gave them an idea for what they could expect ME to be doing throughout the day.  We talked about ways that I like to play–with words, puzzles, drawing, painting (this is a new love for me since we had our experience with Figy earlier this year!), teaching new games (we have many on our game shelves that kiddos have never played!), or just kid-watching.  I started with the whole word play piece by sharing a few books I had found in the library that morning.  We couldn’t let a day go by with out books for our #classroombookaday challenge, could we?

Some were songs, all were rhymes and many of them had directions that the listeners had to follow.  We read them throughout the day and it was a LOT OF FUN!

Kiddos have been invited to bring along a toy or game, with the directions that it had to fit in their backpack, or they had to be able to carry it up on their own.  Also, it could not be electronic.

Before we got into the actual business of the day, we set the guidelines–because of course, just since the day was different, that didn’t mean there weren’t still rules. 🙂

Then we got busy. 🙂

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It was so fun to watch how the morning unfolded.  Kiddos started with playing with their toys, and then quickly began MAKING things for their toys or inspired by their toys.  We noticed that no one chose to play with Legos; we inferred that it was because that’s a “normal” thing we always have and today kiddos wanted to play with their “home” toys.

I was impressed by their creativity and was super excited when Aadish and Allie suggested that we should have an art parade to share all the things they were making!

The parade planners announced on the microphone that we would be having a parade at the end of the day, and that anyone who wanted to join in could do so by making something.  Pretty simple.  A problem quickly arose when Rachel realized she had to leave early to go to the dentist and she would have to miss our parade.  I suggested she talk to A and A and see what they could figure out.  The three decided we could add another parade, and do one after lunch as well as one later in the day.  Super first grade problem solving, eh?

At one point I’m pretty sure the whole recycling station (which is usually housed in the hall) was in our classroom, as kiddos created instruments, costumes (elephants were popular!), and many Star Wars related items.  They were SO EXCITED and as we got back in from lunch and recess, we lined up for our first parade of the day.

Isn’t that about the greatest thing you’ve ever seen?  Not yet?  Ok, check out this one:

After this we went to specials (like a normal day) and came back to finish up anything we wanted to add or redesign for the second part of the parade.  What I loved was hearing so many friends that were thinking about how they were going to improve their art/instrument/ship/costume for the second time around.  It was definitely not in the plan for this day to include engineering design challenges, but it happened and it was amazing!

Our second parade was special because it was the second one, but also because of where it went.

We took our little parade down the street (rather loudly, I should add–we had drums, remember??) and over to Aberdeen.   This had been included in our plans from earlier in the day, and another teacher suggested we just show up and see what happened.  If they had some time for us, we’d parade around inside, and if not, we’d just entertain them through the windows from the parking lot. 🙂

Well, it so happened that we got there just as our friend Ms. Cutler was getting of the bus and we told her our little plan.  She was so pleased to have us visit, and we spent the next little bit of the afternoon traveling the halls of Aberdeen, sharing our joy and first grade smiles with the residents who were available for a visit.  It was “happy hour,” and many residents were awake and allowed us to just come right on in their rooms!  Wow!  It was so much fun and definitely filled our hearts and theirs. 🙂

I think maybe my favorite picture of the day came on our walk back, as we joked that “Old Man Lemcke” had come back from Aberdeen with us.  Ciyah was his helper as they traveled back to Robinson. 🙂

Then it got even better as they pretended that Old Man Lemcke and Old Man Carter were celebrating their 100th birthday.  Ciyah had made them a cake!  See how those candles even have flames on the tops of them?  Love it!

After that she cut the “cake” all apart and shared pieces with the class!  She even asked me if I wanted some.  This is play at its best! 🙂

Ok, and so the best way to end a story of an amazing play day is to share what they said when I asked them what they walked away with (this was the easel question the next morning):

There are some pretty great things on that list!  What a successful LEARNING day in Rm. 202!