Free Play An Introduction To Learning
Photograph by Tim Lloyd
Hi There!
My name's Tim Lloyd and I'm 11 yrs old.
I live in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey, in an area
surrounded by mountains, abandoned
mines, quarries, and lakes.
My alarm goes off at 7: 30 a.m. on a Saturday. Mom's a great cook, and Dad had to leave
around 5:00 a.m. for work. When I walk into the kitchen, my sister, as usual, is already seated at
the table and my brother has just pushed his way passed me to get the chair that allows him to
look across the table and out onto the mountains just east of our home. As we get seated, my
mom announces that we're having scrambled eggs, sausage, and toast. I pour myself a glass of
orange juice.
around 5:00 a.m. for work. When I walk into the kitchen, my sister, as usual, is already seated at
the table and my brother has just pushed his way passed me to get the chair that allows him to
look across the table and out onto the mountains just east of our home. As we get seated, my
mom announces that we're having scrambled eggs, sausage, and toast. I pour myself a glass of
orange juice.
I hurriedly put on my hiking boots, grab my camera, kiss my mom goodbye, she tells me to be safe and
around what time she expects me home.
The Ameoba is a unicellular organism able to change shape to engulf and absorb its prey. The
hard, translucent, brownish-yellow substance Amber, is the fossilized resin of ancient trees that
often contain insects. Adults can spend several years in the ocean but the Rainbow Trout must
return to the stream of its birth to spawn. The massive underground nests that can weigh as much as a
half a ton built by a black and yellow wasp measuring only 10-16 mm in length called the
Yellow Jacket. The Black Bear an omnivore, eats both plant and animal matter. The Red-tailed
Hawk refurbishes and uses the same nest year after year. The bright red display, open canopy,
and large acorns of the 80' tall Red Oak. The clusters of pink to white fragrant flowers of the
Ground Laurel, a shrub with stems that grow along or near the ground. The above descriptions
constitute only a miniscule number of variations in the natural world we live within.
It's a cool, sunny day with a slight breeze. The air has a clean, earthy smell. Dry leaves crumple,
and branches and twigs snap under the weight of each step. I work my way through thick vegetation,
across streams, and a field of Indian Grass. I climb over boulders and fallen trees.
I stop to investigate anything that triggers my curiosity and take photographs of anything worth
remembering. I am happy, relaxed, and actively engaged.
Until recently, I didn't realize that those activities represented a concept called Free Play. A concept
that is based on child-led, open-ended play. It's a voluntary, enjoyable
activity with no purpose or
specific goal. The following blogs will address the
concept of Free Play as it pertains to learning.
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