How Do Animals Play?

During exploration time, we noticed several students crawling around on the floor and bumping into each other with blocks and lego pieces. “We are lions!” Yoonjin exclaimed. “This is how lions play!” Arsh heard this from across the room and came over to investigate. “I don’t think animals play with toys like that!” Jaden answered, “They don’t have legos, but they could play games…like with sticks!”

Later on during connection time, we wondered as a group, “How do animals play?” and “What is the same and different about how animals play and how we (children) play?”

Investigating these questions initially took the forms of finding animal videos on National Geographic Kids, looking through books in the Elementary Library, and asking parents and peers what they knew about play in animals. This quickly moved to the students demonstrating their thinking through mark making and creating stories to share, building play structures, and dramatic play reenactments of observed animal play.

 “Animals can dig! Dogs find their bones to

  share with the other dogs.” -Harrison

“Tigers can build a house to stay in.”

–Jinqiao and ChengQian

“Kittens and rabbits play a game of ‘rock,

paper, scissors.’” -Jeha

“We should go to the zoo. There are real animals there!” Shulynne exclaimed one connection time.

“Do you think the pelicans are talking to each other? Do they love each other? They are standing so close so they must!” –Alisa

“The orangutans and monkeys were swinging and hanging like we do on the monkey bars at school!” –Annette

“The meerkats were popping up and down because they were playing hide and seek with each other! They wanted to see where the other

one was going!” -Isabel

“I think the lizards were playing tag.” –Musa

“The polar bear is thinking of ideas. He is thinking what to do with his ball and how to swim.” –Arian

“I think animals play just like us! They can have friends, they can think of ideas for fun and they talk to each other!” –Amelia

“Except with animal noises!” –Rhea

The students are continuing to reflect on their experiences at The Singapore Zoo and are now wondering if other people know that animals play just like we do. “How are we going to share this?” The empathy, care and love for animals that was demonstrated in our last

animal project continues to be expressed in a variety of different ways with an enduring and keen interest and fascination about how animals are an important and beautiful part of our world.

“We are beginning to learn that each animal has a life and a place and a role in this world. If we place compassion and

care in the middle of all our dealings with the animal world and honor and respect their lives, our attitudes will

change.”

-Jane Goodall