6 P's

1.     Permission-  We often times have to ask ourselves permission to do things. We have been doing this our whole life, always raising our hand in class to speak, asking to use the bathroom, etc. As a student you often feel “controlled” by the adults around you. You are asking the adult in the classroom or youth space to do something, and without their permission you cannot do it.

2.     Process-  The article uses standardized testing as an example as process. How play values feed off of the performance based on product. Play is focused on attention during the experience and it asks us to be aware of how we do things and what we do. The process is geared towards how play can be helpful while learning basic skills.

3.     Passion – When working with youth you should try to recognize the child’s passion and what they are capable of performing. When the student is interested in something it gives them motivation to learn other things. When I was young I was passionate about playing fast pitch softball.

4.     Productivity- just like process, productivity is a key component.  This sense can be linked to creativity; how the children view life through their own imagination. As an adult we know longer need to use our imagination because we know what the world is all about. However, when you are working in a youth space or with a preschool you have to think outside of the box and use your imagination to come up with stories or activities to share.

5.     Participation – Invites us to enter into the fun. We watch to observe how others perform, to learn new skills, and to enhance our own performance. I know for me I like to watch someone else go first and demonstrate what the activity is so then when it is my turn I am ready to do the right thing.

6.     Pleasure – I think of pleasure as rewarding someone on his or her good work, which is another way of using motivation. It is important to provide contexts for more free and open-ended forms of play.  This encourages everyone to play, instead of only rewarding the winners. “Play for the fun”