Field trip! Play after Play

We usually don't see the toddlers on weekends, but today we had a field trip of sorts with all the toddlers and their families plus assistants and their families. Laurie's practicum student Ashley is doing a study on children and movement, so Laurie arranged this special event of a performance followed by facilitated play. These events are usually open to the public, but this was a private play-play.

Play After Play is the brainchild of Marc Otto and Melanya Helene. Their website describes what occurs:

Play after Play invites you to enjoy together an embodied wisdom tale, brought to life through movement, music and engaging storytelling. After the story performance, the whole family is invited to play - to crawl, roll, tumble and cuddle - to be reminded of how good it feels to play safely together in community.

Today's wisdom tale was The Fairy's Gift, a lovely Irish story about a fairy granting a woodsman a single wish after he saved her from being devoured by a hawk. A dilemma ensues about what to wish for, and then is resolved elegantly. This is all presented by the two storytellers with nothing but their bodies and voices, but it feels like there are special effects.

During the story, the children aren't discouraged from engaging with the players. But mostly they sat and watched, almost as entranced as some of the adults!

The play after the play is gentle and respectful, focused on inviting but not forcing physical play. As you can see from the photo, adults as well as children get down on the floor and roll around. It is NOT roughhousing and wrestling. It IS connection.

I thought this the perfect photo for today's May challenge, HAPPY.