Makedo and Play
0Educators have noted that one of the main reasons that Makedo is such a hit in the classroom is because it's really fun! Students are involved in meaningful play from the moment they start using Makedo and are given the chance to be creative and innovative with their ideas.
While the educational benefits of play are well established, play itself can be tricky to define. Whether playful learning takes the form of active and hands-on, individual, or collaborative, exploratory and discovery experiences or guided and project-based inquiry; play helps students to make sense of their world.
Makedo creations open the door to imaginative play. A child who ‘makes-believe’ in a cardboard crane they’ve constructed, for example, is using imagination when pretending to be a crane operator or engineer. Pretend play shows thought at a symbolic and abstract level. So in addition to the obvious and well-known benefits of play (e.g. social/emotional), a broad range of professionals from education, the sciences and the arts are speaking up about the importance of pretend play for developing creative and innovative thinkers and problem solvers.
Many teachers express concerns that there is no longer much time to play. Using Makedo in the classroom is an excellent way to ensure that children have meaningful and fun ways to play and learn. We at Makedo are huge advocates of play and we encourage teachers to join in!
Image credit: @koko_teach
