Free Play
FREE PLAY
I am another alum who is part of a growing movement to bring play back into the lives of children (“Einstein May Never Have Used Flashcards, but He Probably Built Forts,” spring 2007). In response to questions posed by both Howard Gardner and Don Oliver at HGSE, I founded Fairhaven School in Upper Marlboro, Md., in 1998, modeled after Sudbury Valley School in Framingham, Mass. As a school with no compulsory curriculum, free play is our bread and butter. Many of them in bare feet, our students explore Fairhaven’s 12 acres every day, often for hours at a time. And yes, they become thoughtful, responsible adults. They just get to spend their days probing our stream, building fairy houses, and chasing five-lined skinks! Thanks for shedding light on the very serious topic of play.
Mark McCaig , Ed.M.’90
Tracy’s Landing, Md.
Published online at Ed.magazine of the Harvard Graduate School of Education
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