Peeps

Several years ago, I read Children’s Special Places by David Sobel. The book talked about children in middle childhood universally creating forts, dens, special personal places – usually out beyond the domestic boundaries. The book was saying this is an essential manifestation of the developmental drive to become an autonomous individual. The book suggested that education should utilize this drive. The book mentioned an activity called The Village in which children built small figures  (the peeps) and then they went out in nature and built places for their peeps. According to the author, the kids can start creating an entire world for their peeps.

This was an idea that felt so right that I’ve wanted to try it ever since. This year I’ve finally had a chance at Chrysalis. Eight fourth graders and I have put in three sessions so far. I am being much more open-ended with the idea than its description in the book. Rather than setting up opportunities that lead the students to wrestle with governance or economic factors, we just went out and built homes for our peeps.

The kids are enthralled with the activity. I hope to set aside at least two hours on our next visit. Kids are busy all the time while they are working on their village. There is virtually no squabbles and there is tremendous amount of helping one another. On their own, different kids are creating property lines, money, businesses. Kids are noticing that structures settle into the earth over a few weeks, that grass grows back in cleared areas, that different plants are useful for creating different miniature things. The activity is an absolute joy. I have no idea what will grow from it.