“the ambiance of play is by nature unstable. At any moment ‘ordinary life’ may prevail once again. The geographical limitations of play is even more striking that its temporal limitation. Every game takes place within the boundaries of its own special domain” Guy Debord from On the Passage of a Few Persons Through a Rather BriefContinue reading “Play (and/or art?!) diary: Who framed the Pineapple”
Tag Archives: art
A couple of fantastically messy paint play ideas
Everybody loves paint. Aside, perhaps, from the parents of very well dressed children, but they can learn! Paint is never boring. It provides visual, tactile and olfactory sensory stimulation, it can be mixed, thrown, experimented with and can be used to transform the play space. Paint can be a play thing in itself or beContinue reading “A couple of fantastically messy paint play ideas”
Diagrams and Laughter
I wanted to take a moment today to share this image. It’s a diagram I drew a couple of years ago and come back to it often when thinking about communication. It shows how laughter uses all our methods of expression at once, its emotional, physical and verbal. I once worked with a kid whoContinue reading “Diagrams and Laughter”
For the love of Cardboard! ; Tips for junk modelling
At 24 years old the simple cardboard box has never lost its appeal for me. With my noble partner-in-creation duck tape and sometimes associates, gaffa, sello and duct (for the pedants), anything is possible. Fortunately most kids seem to feel the same way. So, here are some tips for anyone whose ever felt a littleContinue reading “For the love of Cardboard! ; Tips for junk modelling”
Playful Communication: the joys of the ‘non-functioning’
“Communication is about our ability to share our lives with other people” Working in play, particularly in disability and additional needs settings, has blown open my understanding of what communication is. The quote above from therapist and author Phoebe Caldwell is, to me, is the best explanation of where I’veContinue reading “Playful Communication: the joys of the ‘non-functioning’”
Play Diary: Cinematic Cardboard
Welcome to the first in a series of “Play Diaries” I shall be writing and sharing on this site. I do many, many things, but my favourite is being a playworker at The Yard Adventure centre in Edinburgh. The Yard is a fantastic and wonderful place; primarily it’s a play service for young disabled peopleContinue reading “Play Diary: Cinematic Cardboard”
A Playful Manifesto #1
Within any finite set of criteria there exist infinite ways of being. In play we discover these, play is a space where we explore our possible selves, and how we relate to our environment and other people. We learn to construct space for ourselves, we build, we destroy, we rebuild. Again and again and again.Continue reading “A Playful Manifesto #1”
Play Radical 