The midpoint of our day at Long-View is the hour we spend at Pease Park, just an 8-minute walk down the road. But this isn’t just “a break” or “recess.” Congruent with the rest of our school day, it is an intentionally designed time to provide rich experiences for our learners.
Since the founding of the school nearly ten years ago, we have recognized the importance of unstructured free play and reflected on the value of this time. Live Oak Meadow at Pease Park is the stage where different forms of play unfold organically, contributing to the rich experiences that define our school. Learners play and interact in ways that they choose; adults are mindfully observant but not controlling or “managing” behavior. Opportunities for creating games and facilitating other positive forms of engagement or play are plentiful. And thus, so is the opportunity for learners to increase their understanding of conflict and practice effective resolution of conflict. During this time in nature, children can also feel calm, soaking up the proven stress relief that nature brings, and improve their senses as well as develop important sensory integration….
