It’s easy to focus on academics and college transcripts when children become tweens and teens, but retaining the agency and creativity inherent in play is crucial for them, too. But what is the high school equivalent for the kind of inquisitive learning that happens when little kids play in the sandbox, finger-paint, build with blocks or play make-believe?
“When your 4-year-old is dipping his hand in the rice table, he’s learning really important things about tactile touch,” said Denise Pope, senior lecturer at Stanford’s Graduate School of Education and co-founder of Challenge Success. “Older kids need those same tactile, hands-on experiences to learn as well.”
Teenagers need creative outlets, just like elementary school children. Those experiences helps open their brains in different ways, gets them excited about learning and allows them to have fun. Playful learning can in turn lead to deeper engagement with school, better retention of learning and a stronger motivation to persist all the way through school.
There are several ways to encourage teenagers to learn playfully.
