C89 (Application): Designing an Environment for Play

​Let’s continue on with this theme about learning space design and how it impacts play.  From an organizational standpoint, what makes your space so special? 

When you look around your special spot in your home, what are some special things and tools you use that inspire you to play? 

One of my favorite spots in my home is my inspiration room.  Everything is organized in drawers, tubs, cabinets, and shelves.  For me to function, I need it to be clearly labeled and organized.  Imagine that.  When you look around the walls, you will see comic art from one of my favorite artists, Des Taylor. One of my treasures is a hand drawn sketch of Poison Ivy that he made for me.  Interspersed between the pictures is a Banksy with Billie Holiday, record covers of my favorite childhood tales, and local street art. This sets the tone of inspiration and creativity to come.  

All of this décor sounds silly, but to me it sparks creativity.  On the shelves, I have materials from my mother’s house, a cross stitch sampler with my name made by a student as a Genius Hour project, and artifacts from my travels.  These artifacts make me feel at home…all parts of me are represented from different chapters in the story of my life. 

As I examine the tools, I connect to my mother.  When I was a child, she was quite crafty and I’ve inherited her love of creating within and beyond the classroom.  My sewing machine is circa 1990’s.  It’s solidly built, made out of metal, and has very few stitches.  It makes me happy when I hear the hum of the machine as I create something new.  The pinking shears she used to use all the time with her handwriting sit in my drawer.  They are no longer sharp, but I keep them anyway. 

Besides being sentimental, the materials are carefully organized, so I can easily retrieve like materials to create.  All of my sewing notions are together while my cardmaking supplies are nestled together.  As you can imagine, I have lots of drawers, baskets, and containers.  Every time I walk in the room, I feel inspired to create something new. 

Application Challenge

When looking at your home and learning spaces, consider answering these questions and make some suggestions for improvements. 
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• How does the space make you feel?
• How does the physical layout and décor invite inspiration? 
• How are the materials organized for ease of use? 
• Are similar materials placed near each other for easy retrieval? 
• How are the work surfaces created for multiple purposes? 

Just like my inspiration room, our learning spaces should be a place that excites, invites, and provokes.  

This should get your mind racing with new ideas!  Let’s have some fun with this application challenge. Be sure to post your new thinking on social media with #thinkchat2020.  I can’t wait to see your ideas!