Hey Kids! is a weekly feature looking at what’s coming up for families and kids of all ages.
Play. “Older than culture”. How we learn, how we are socialized. How cats learn to hunt. A moment of peace, a pathway to reconnect with earlier, simpler ways of being. Mysterious, rapturous.
Why are so many of the Mission’s play spaces unavailable this summer?
Does it really matter? Sure, on the social justice spectrum of things, it does, and for the purposes of habit and routine, it does, too. But last week’s New Yorker suggests that the typical American play-space (a playground with a swing, slide, and sand) is intrinsically broken, anyway.
Instead, we are to look to Adventure Playground in Berkeley, Union Point Park in Oakland. There’s a lot of shovel ready money in Potrero, a lot of Willie Brown money in Mission Bay, and some Slow Money in the Mission, but so far no money or plans for similar spaces in San Francisco.
Academics’ requirements for play are inherently contradictory. Ignore the environment, but be present. Do it regardless of outcomes, but rules might be fun. Relax, but be absorbed in your activity. For some designers, this means blue foam. For some cultures, it’s
discarded construction equipment. One thing remains: no matter how, no matter where, no matter how old or how young, we all need some play.
Luckily, broken, ignored, underfunded– or not– the Mission still offers so much. There is always a will here, and always a way.
Let’s make our own play.
“Play is free”
On rainy days, when we already have a stack of library books and I just can’t dance to Michael Jackson anymore, my son and I head to Curiosities for Kids. I do try to buy something there once in a while (I promise), to make up for the happy hours we’ve spent “window shopping”. All this week, the store is celebrating its Grand Re-Opening with a different activity every day, culminating in a party this Sunday.
Party details and additional events
Curiosities for Kids Grand Re-Opening Party. Sunday, July 11th, 11 am – 3 pm. All Ages. Free. Curiosities for Kids, 824 Valencia @ 19th
Imaginary Play
Imaginary play seems to help kids do everything from build vocabulary to develop empathy to learn rules. By age three, many kids instinctually develop an imaginary friend, but as they get older, acting and improvisation can be a great way to foster imagination. The Marsh is auditioning younger actors right now for Siddhartha; performances will be this winter.
Siddhartha audition registration. Now through August 15th. Ages 12 – 20. Register online or contact The Marsh via email at myt@themarsh.org
Collaborative Play
Watching a toddler be able to move from playing alone to parallel play to really engaging with his friends is great, but also long. But once they engage with their friends, watch out. Team work, project development, collaborative art: all kinds of things start happening. This summer, the MCCLA has offered a day camp for kids to learn about Latino culture and arts together; round two starts next week. Registration is still open, call ASAP.
MCCLA Summer Program. July 12 – August 6. Ages 7 – 17. $250, including lunch. Download registration form and return to MCCLA, 2868 Mission St @ 24th, or call 821-1155
Expressive Play
Somedays I am convinced that request number 25 to play trains might actually be my son’s way of telling me that he wants to move, get out of the house, go somewhere. The third session of Swivel Arts focuses on new ways to communicate, new ways to tell a story (play, music, and painting).
Swivel Arts Day Camp. July 26 – August 6, 9:30 am – 3:30 pm. Ages 5-12. $485; scholarships available. Register online or call 685-3665. Dance Mission Theater, 3316 24th St @ Mission
Symbolic Play
The easy example for symbolic play is block= house. But our bodies can be such beautiful symbols, too. I love the animal names for yoga poses, gymnastics terms are more playful: log roll; donkey kicks. Pee Wee Gymnastics Club starts up again next week at the Mission Y… maybe they can tell me the origin of these terms!
Pee Wee Gymnastics Club. July 14 – August 18, 4 pm – 5 pm. Ages 2 – 5. $40. For more information call Kristen Bagwell, 452-7561. Mission YMCA 4080 Mission Street @ Alemany
Come Sunday, I’ll be engaging in some “Parallel Play” at Sunday Streets.
