The magic of analog play

Childcare centers often get a lot of criticism, and while we know there are challenges in every setting, I wanted to share one of the many wonderful moments that happen every day.

Yesterday afternoon, our after-school room at Little Castle was buzzing with creativity and teamwork. Completely on their own, the children created a squishy business. They assigned roles including owner, manager, package designer, maker, and more. They even created and handed out paychecks in cash!

What made it even more special was that children of different ages worked together, finding roles that suited everyone's abilities and interests. They were so proud to explain their jobs, show off their work, and carefully count their earnings. Some even chose to give away their squishies to children who were heading home for the day.

There was no adult directing this activity, it was entirely child-led. What we witnessed was imagination, collaboration, problem-solving, leadership, generosity, math skills, and communication all happening through play.

This is the magic of true, analog play, and it was such a delight to watch unfold at Little Castle.