Play Residue: a New Perspective on Children's Creativity
October 2024
There are clothes everywhere from when your children had tried to get themselves dressed for the day, and the lounge floor is covered in toys from the towers and castles they were creating for their superheroes after breakfast. Even though you’d asked them repeatedly to tidy the lounge up before heading out the door to get to work and school and daycare, it was still sitting there, serving as a reminder of your daily morning rush.
From childhood, we are conditioned to tidy up, to put things back where they belong, and to erase any trace of disarray. We grow up with the notion that order is paramount and mess is something to be avoided or corrected.
Children’s play is often perceived in a similar light. The aftermath of their play might look like a big mess that needs tidying up, but what if we reframe this perspective and consider it as 'play residue'?
Viewing the remnants of play as 'play residue' transforms it into a window of the imaginative worlds children have created, the curiosities they've explored, and the processes they've engaged in. This 'play residue' represents the learning that occurred naturally through play, which isn’t something that can be directly taught. It reflects what being 'in the zone' looked like for them, offering a chance to celebrate and appreciate the creativity and wonder of young minds. Instead of seeing it as a chore to clean up, we can recognize it as a beautiful opportunity to honour and reflect on the enriching experiences that took place.
In a society that often prioritizes order over creativity, it’s refreshing to recognize the value of play residue. Embracing mess isn’t about disregarding cleanliness but about appreciating the process of learning and discovery.
So, the next time you feel overwhelmed as you walk through your front door and are greeted with a sprawling mess of toys, remember:
it’s okay.