Play and Create 
It seems that once our students get to high school, the idea of playing and creating is a long-ago idea that got lost in the educational shuffle somewhere in elementary school. Education turned into a series of memorizing dates, facts, and periodic tables.
Is there a place for playing and creating in the high school classroom? Zaidee Stavely believes so. Not only is it good, it is imperative that students do not lose the desire to play and create in the upper grades. She looks at how students play and create in elementary school and compares it to how that would look in the secondary schools.
| Elementary School | Secondary School |
| Free Choice | Student-directed learning |
| Blocks and Legos | Maker Spaces and Fab Labs |
| Playground | Pickup sports and Jam Sessions |
| Finger-painting | Arts Integration |
| Make-Believe | Problem-Based Learning |
| Rice Tables and Sandboxes | Science Through Inquiry |
“Teenagers need creative outlets, just like elementary school children. Those experiences help open their brains in different ways, get them excited about learning and allow them to have fun. Playful learning can in turn lead to deeper engagement with school, better retention of learning and a stronger motivation to persist all the way through school.”
For a more in depth look, read Zaidee Stavely’s article "How to Bring Playfulness to High School Students"