Concept Clustering
Sorting Out the Most Important Play Priorities
During the third activity ideation activity, Concept Clustering, Moderators asked participants to consider how they might bring together the key points raised in the first two brainstorming activities to create a complete picture of play that described its most fundamental aspects, the current needs and challenges, and potential for improvement.
During the activity, Graphic Facilitators used a variety of techniques to organize information visually. Some used list making and mental mapping, while others drew diagrams that incorporated several comments to describe a core idea. The goal of this segment was to focus everyone’s thinking and discussion on the specifics and identify opportunities to make an impact in the world of play.
Common Themes, Hot Topics, and Key Priorities
- The central importance of imagination as a means for children to have agency in their own play
- The role of play as an unstructured social activity that teaches life skills including collaboration, teamwork, compromise, resourcefulness, and problem solving
- Adapting existing physical environments like a tree in the back yard, the kitchen table, the living room, or the parents office as a place to play
- Using found objects like office supplies, cooking utensils, or discarded materials as simple toys
- The perceived benefit of the lack of instruction, supervision, task assignments, and evaluation in the play environment
- The ability of technology to eliminate geographic barriers and enhance communication
- The perceived lack of outdoor play experience in the lives of today’s children
- Children’s eagerness to experience new things and their ability to grasp new concepts and tools and subsequently make them their own
