BCS Global School Play Day a Success
The 2019 Global School Play Day (GSPD) was a terrific success with 545,690 participants around the world! Even though icy conditions made playing outside impossible, the students at Belgrade Central School had an amazing day on February 6th as they participated in GSPD for the first time. BCS also invited parents to attend, and over 50 parents came to join the day of play.
Students had a great time playing board games, making bracelets and slime, playing house, dress-up, and store, just to name a few. They also built cars, trucks, and forts out of cardboard.
The entire staff at BCS came out to support this event and enjoy a day of play with their students. “It was really great to watch the kids play and create throughout the day,” said BCS School Counselor Jamie Wade. She added that the informal playtime allowed students to make new friends and interact with peers, teachers, and staff on a whole different level.
“Even though our activities were supervised, children were allowed to problem solve on their own,’ said BCS Principal Gwen Bacon. “They established their own rules and worked together to problem-solve conflicts. They were able to take turns, to listen and share, and make decisions together. This day of unstructured play encouraged social skills and teamwork.”
These are just some of the many benefits of unstructured play time. Play without predetermined rules or guidelines allows children the freedom to explore, get creative and really use their imagination. Students also said they enjoyed just relaxing without electronics!
“ Overall, it was a tremendous success,” said Ms. Wade. “We definitely plan to participate again next year!”