WC_062217

20 | June 22, 2017 | The winnetka Current news
winnetkacurrent.com
Program fosters creativity in children at Clarkson Park
Alexa Burnell
Freelance Reporter
Wilmette’s Edward Dean learns about new instruments
from the Music Institute of Chicago at the Alliance For
Early Childhood’s “Let’s Play” days.
Teaching families simple
ways to spark imagination
is what The Alliance
for Early Childhood is all
about. The nonprofit hosted
its annual “Let’s Play!”
days June 5-7, teaching
families simple ways to
spark imagination, while
reinforcing the importance
of unstructured play for
growing young minds.
Liza Sullivan, of Wilmette
and executive director
of the AEC, explained
that the theme of “fostering
creativity” was woven
into events at Clarkson
Park in Northfield, Townley
Park in Kenilworth
and Vattmann Park in
Wilmette. The goal was to
give pointers on simple,
easy-to-replicate ideas for
child-led play.
“With the summer coming
up, we see many families
registering kids into all
day camps and structured
classes,” Sullivan said.
“While these programs are
great, we want to bring
light to the importance of
letting kids create, imagine,
invent and problem solve
on their own in unstructured
environments where
kids lead the way for play.”
According to Sullivan,
self-directed play appeals
to kids of all ages and promotes
learning and critical
thinking skills too.
“There is growing research
that links creativity
and imagination to the
ability to be successful in
a global world,” she said.
“Kids need to be able to
synthesize content, collaborate
with others and be
creative in order to be successful
in today’s world.”
Anne Halley, director of
Chicago Botanic Garden’s
preschool, is a supporter of
self-directed play and participated
at Townley Park.
She introduced kids to the
concept of loose parts play,
where materials such as
Popsicle sticks, feathers,
rocks, toilet paper rolls,
shells and yarn replaced
typical store-bought toys.
“Loose parts play is
open ended and appeals to
all ages. Older ones often
want to build something
specific, but all their own,”
Halley said. “Younger
ones often want to put objects
in a jar, dump them
out and then do it all over
again. While this may
seem simplistic, this type
of play is the foundation
for math skills, and allowing
kids to direct their own
play is empowering.”
Also at Townley Park,
children experimented with
instruments brought by the
Music Institute of Chicago,
as well as simply playing in
the sand boxes, running in
the fields and climbing in
trees. Parents mingled while
allowing their little ones to
meet new friends and direct
their morning, with little direction
from mom or dad.
On day two at Vattmann
Park, little ones were welcomed
to play with a variety
of bubble making toys,
scarves and hula hoops
provided by the Kohl Children’s
Museum.
The Museum’s education
specialists Theresa
Ruvalcaba and Sarah
Rankin stood back, watching
as kids created new
ways to play with these
everyday objects.
“As soon as I put the
bubble mixture out, kids
instinctively dumped it on
the sidewalk, deciding for
themselves how to best
use the soap. Soon, a few
kids started jumping in the
Winnetka Librarian Sheila Cody reads to kids at Townly Park in Kenilworth during
the Alliance For Early Childhood’s “Let’s Play” days. photos by ALEXA BURNELL/22ND
CENTURY MEDIA
Winnetka’s Alex Wolf gets creative with Nicole Filippone, Lincoln Park Zoo’s Child
and Family Program Facilitator during the Alliance For Early Childhood’s “Let’s Play”
days at Clarkson Park.
bubble mix and before we
knew it, many other kids
followed suit,” Ruvalcaba
said. “They had more fun
jumping in puddles, rather
than making bubbles as we
the adults had intended. It’s
activities like these that remind
us to step back and
let kids explore, create and
lead the way when it comes
to play.”
The final day at Northfield’s
Clarkson Park encouraged
kids to embrace
their inner Picasso by
creating elaborate sidewalk
art, or to engage in
self-directed, nature play
with representatives from
Lincoln Park Zoo. Nicole
Filippone and Emily Van
Laan, the zoo’s early childhood
program facilitators,
laid out toy animals, colorful
swatches of fabric, natural
loose parts like sticks,
leaves, and rocks, letting
kids create their own play.
Soon, some little ones
pretended to be vets caring
for the sick animals, while
others pretended they were
in the jungle being chased
by fierce creatures. Several
older children, took the
colorful swatches of fabric
and sought out natural objects
within Clarkson Park
that were similar in color,
embracing imagination
and creativity.