In Search of Dragon Lairs: The Value of Play in the Field
This week in the field, I instigated an impromptu game of "the ground is lava" while exploring some canyons on a day hike. The game quickly gained layers of complexity, until it was replete with dragons, shimmering pits of blue and green destruction, regeneration as giant birds, and a push for distant castles. This lasted for a good 40 minutes, with enthusiastic engagement from the whole pack of teenage boys. When we finally made our way out of those treacherous, lava filled canyons, we immediately picked up our wands and headed to Hogwarts for lunch and herbology lessons, shouting incantations in contrived British accents as we went.