02/10/2026
Today was so incredible to witness.
I watched children of many different ages learning to communicate, negotiate, and problem-solve together. What began as one child (the “king”) collecting all the gold and jewels and sitting proudly atop his castle throne quickly turned into a new challenge — the others decided to steal the treasure.
When it was gone, the king was heartbroken. But interestingly, the others didn’t like how it felt either. The game came to a halt because they realized they had made their friend unhappy.
So, they did something remarkable — they created rules.
They organized themselves into groups, built their forts, and began bargaining with the king for the materials they needed. Conversations, negotiations, and exchanges followed, all completely led by the children themselves.
Moments like these are powerful reminders that play is not “just play.” It is where children practice leadership, empathy, communication, and real-world problem solving — all without adult direction.
It was truly amazing to watch them work through this experience entirely on their own.
