Waiharara School is a buzz of activity during their breaks thanks to an influx of sports equipment.

Energizer Garth and Principal Toni noted a lack of sports equipment after undertaking a PE (physical education) shed stocktake.

Toni was quick off the mark to order new equipment such as balls, netball bibs, and hoops, which had not been replaced since the seventies, the days of the pole in the tyre filled with concrete! Lines for hopscotch and four square were also repainted and discovery of old soccer goals which were chained to a tree which had even grown over the chain) were cut and are now exposed in the grassy fields.

The students at Waiharara are seen during their breaks making the most of this new equipment, inventing their own games utilising everything around them. This kind of imaginative, self-chosen, uninhibited play is a vital aspect of children’s development - often overlooked.

Respected American psychologist Peter Gray who specialises in the ‘science of play’ explains “perhaps play would be more respected if we called it something like ‘self-motivated practice of life skills,’ but that would remove the lightheartedness from it and thereby reduce its effectiveness. So, we are stuck with the paradox. We must accept play’s triviality in order to realize its profundity.”

Energizer Garth is excited to see the reinvigoration of play in schools. “The way I see it,” Garth says, “is kids imaginations are like the soccer goals – they shouldn’t be chained up. It’s awesome to see them doing what they’re born to do.” Research shows that play based learning is incredibly important in children’s developmental skills; however forcing, or structuring play is not the way to go. Seeing play develop naturally using resources available is a positive and encouraging sign – way to go Waiharara!