Unstructured Outside Time/Lunch

This is part 4 of a 5-part series on what it means to be a Classical School. If you missed the two posts of the series, you can click on the link below to read them.

Part 1.

What Does it Mean to be a Classical School?

Part 2.

The Intentionally Small School: Mixed Age Classes and Individualized Academics

Part 3.

Our Daily Structure: Morning Block and Afternoon Block

Part 4.

Extended Unstructured Outside Time

Part 5.

Time Management

Part 4. Extended Outside Time/Lunch

Learning to play amongst a range of different ages teaches something that the classroom cannot. 

An eighth grader who can be thoughtful and polite as they navigate a basketball game with a third grader takes that skill into leadership roles well beyond school.  A first grader who wants to play with a fourth grader knows that to keep up in the game, they may need to push themselves past their comfort zone.  This teaches grit firsthand.  

A timid fifth grader enters middle school aware of the challenges ahead. By having authentic friendships that developed over the years on the playground, that fifth grader has older friends who are actively succeeding in what may seem insurmountable at first.  This growth mindset has become so ingrained in the fifth grader's work ethic that they can naturally achieve well beyond what is expected of them. 

Unstructured and Independant play gives our students a play-based childhood. Learning to find your voice by working through conflicts leads to a confident and conscientious child. When a friend does not want to play your game, you have a choice to make. Play their game, and maybe next time they will want to play yours. Or, find a new friend or game to play. This teaches children that you can only control yourself; you cannot control what others do. A life lesson we can all learn from. Extended unstructured playtime allows for plenty of conflicts to arise. And plenty of time to work through them. This leaves them with a sense of confidence to handle hard situations. 

If you were to visit campus from 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm on any given day, you would see footballs flying over kickball games and boisterous basketball tournaments next to four-square matches. Somehow they know the invisible boundaries and who’s playing what game. They share the fields and referee themselves. They choose teams and teach the younger kids the rules.

You would see children captivated by their own imaginations. Mud kitchens and sticks make restaurants come to life. Forts crop up between the trees and dance performances ensue. Through all this wonderful play you’ll also see kids learning how to face adversity and work out conflicts.