During games time the magic of each child’s imagination comes to life.

This daily session is all about giving children free rein to use their initiative and energy to create shared worlds. The class starts as a group by forming a circle with heads down and eyes closed for quiet thinking. Children then take turns to share their ideas and contribute thoughts to build on others’ ideas. Some have lots of input, and some are happy just to listen until they build confidence throughout the year and learn to initiate their leadership skills. After discussions, children draw concepts of how their game will work, research with teachers through books and the internet, and over the next two days develop it into a fully thought out, inclusive experience.

This process of working together instils important life skills as the children learn to:

• hear other people’s ideas and perspectives
• review their own thinking to incorporate the experiences and ideas of others
• organise and articulate their thinking in such a way that peers can understand them
• verbalise ways of approaching a task that allows all parties to be engaged
• take turns to share information and learn to function in a group.

The children’s games have been inspired by ideas as broad as: a circus, police and fire emergencies, mermaids, shopping at Bunnings, a wedding breakfast, pirates, underwater animals, the army, zoos, a construction site, hospitals and dentists, and an African safari.