Why Playful Inquiry

Play is culturally responsive. Playful Inquiry is a practice anchored in children’s unique curiosities and sense of wonder, as well as a pedagogy that is culturally responsive and sustaining (Hammond, 2014). Through playful inquiry, children use critical thinking to define their own identities and learn about the diverse identities of our world. When all cultures are visible, we see ourselves as part of a community. In Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s vision of the Beloved Community, racism and all forms of discrimination will be replaced by an all-inclusive spirit of love and belonging. Play brings us closer to the Beloved Community by equipping all students with the same powerful tool: storytelling. In sharing our stories, we create a new, shared story -- and a shared identity as a learning community -- that includes the histories, traumas, and experiences of all groups. Play gives students abundant opportunities to wrestle with uncertainty, empathize with diverse perspectives, and plan the collective action we need to transform our communities. Play is our pathway to peace.

Play embodies critical thinking. The strength of our democracy, the future of our economy and the health of our planet depends on educating students who can think, imagine and create (Wagner, 2008 & Gardner, 2000). These skills contrast with the rote skills upon which our schools were initially founded. Play provokes thinking and ignites our brain for learning. Research tells us alertness and attention are key strengths to developing strong pathways in the brain (Merzenich, 2008; Neville, 2008). It is through play that we are able to imagine new possibilities and for this reason it is also a quality of genius (Armstrong, 1998) and an essential skill (Pink, 2005). To be successful in the future, children must learn skills required to function in the modern workplace: problem-solving, collaboration and perseverance. These skills are practiced daily in playful inquiry and build an “infrastructure” for a lifetime of learning.

Play is connected to joy and love: Playful inquiry invites children to learn and make sense of their discoveries with the kind of curiosity and joy we remember from our happiest moments being a child. Play is the way children work, learn about their world and explore many of the big ideas we learn about in our lives. Given that play is collaborative, rather than competitive, students experience a sense of wholeness in oneself and harmony with others. In her groundbreaking text, Cultivating Genius, Dr. Gholdy Muhammad calls upon us to make our children feel whole and loved through their own identity, skills, intellect and criticality. Playful inquiry offers children spaces that honor who they are and recognize their gifts as compassionate, courageous, curious and creative human beings. For children to care for themselves and for the world around them, they must first love the world in which they live.

We are hopeful this emphasis on play will also serve as a meaningful tool to build community, get to know our students and their families more authentically, and connect our school and home learning environments in purposeful ways. Our goal is that children will no longer survive in spite of the experiences we offer, but thrive within them.